Riding on brooms with boys
by FrankieQuinn13
Summary: It's hard trying to understand something that you've been raised to hate. Ron decides to break the status quo just once, what happens in those few moments will change the course of his life forever and all in the space of just six months. Full summary, pairings and warnings inside. Slash, canon divergence, mpreg etc
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yeah**

 **Do any of you remember the Drew Barrymore movie** _ **Riding in Cars With Boys**_ **? I always loved that movie when I was younger; I keep hearing that song by the Everly Brothers** _ **All I have to do is dream**_ **in my head, so that's how I came up with this**

 **There are going to be many, many crack pairings in this. I'm not going into too much depth because you'll get to find out about some of them in the first chapter. But this is essentially a Blaise/Ron fic just with** _ **a lot**_ **of sub plots.**

 **Summary: "C'mon." Ron stared at the hand stretched out for him to take, looking up at the Slytherin before him before giving a brief glance back towards the castle.**

 **It's hard trying to understand something that you've been raised to hate. Since the day that he was born Ron was raised to believe in three things; hatred for all things dark, a hatred for all things Slytherin and absolute devotion to Dumbledore's cause. But one night as the rest of the world sleeps; in the absence of his mother's influence and a certain meddlesome headmaster's watchful gaze, Ron decides to break the status quo, just once. No one ever has to know.**

 **Little did he know, that one night of freedom would lead to a chain of events that could change all of their lives forever and all in the space of just six months.**

 **Apologies spelling, grammar and OOCness, lots of OOCness**

 **Warnings: Slash, threesome relationship (M/M/M), smut in later chapters, canon divergence (many many many many many changes so let's just say its non-canon, but just to give a starting point ignore everything after GOF). I'm moving things up by a year so they're all in sixth crossing over into seventh. Dark-ish characters, Petunia, Vernon, Dumbledore, Hermione and Ginny Bashing. Some Molly bashing but mother Weasley redeems herself. I don't normally approve of bashing but some of it was necessary for the story to work the way I wanted.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters, that right goes to J.K Rowling**

Lee lay on the bed with his head hanging off the side and his arms spread out beside him, his dreadlocks fell over the side dangling just a few inches above the floor. He got off work about an hour ago, usually he worked till late covering news stories and checking in on sources but his heart just wasn't in it today and it showed. So his boss sent him home and told him to get some rest.

" _You work too much. And really it's a wonder you're holding out so well despite being around those ... monsters for so long."_

Monsters.

Lee sighed. A few months ago he used to think of them in very much the same way.

He thought they were monsters, evil vile creatures that don't deserve the air they breathe and he sincerely hoped that they would rot in hell.

But again that was months ago, six months to be exact and in that time Lee has come to realize his own faults. To realize just how misguided he was.

To realize just how easy it is to hate something because of the pure and simple fact that he didn't understand it.

Without even realizing it Lee lifted his hand up to his lips and touched them, wondering briefly when it happened that he longed for that simple touch, a touch that he never got to have, not really any way.

He's kissed them before, both of them and Lee can admit that he'd enjoyed both times on some level even if he hadn't done it for the same reasons. With one it was simply an impulse, like it was just the right thing to do at the time. He didn't feel anything for the older man nothing romantic, at least not really. He was more like an older brother. An older brother he'd gladly shag if given the chance but still, it was never about romance with him.

Lee remembers it clearly although some parts of his brain wished he didn't since it wasn't entirely pleasant although it wasn't completely horrible either but that wasn't _his_ fault. It felt good, warm and passionate unfortunately his mouth didn't taste too pleasant. His lips were chapped, his mouth tasted dirty and a little slimy and the smell coming from the older man had Lee quickly pulling away in order to catch his breath. His beard was untamed and therefore incredibly scratchy while his hair was long but tangled and greasy so Lee didn't waste much time running his hands through it.

All in all it wasn't a nice kiss, but it was still a good kiss if that makes sense.

With the other brother it was a moment of instinct as well but this time Lee couldn't deny that he felt something deeper for him, something that was far stronger than brotherly affection something he wanted more of as well.

His kiss had its negatives, his hair was just as messy and unkempt as his brother's only less greasy and he'd been allowed to shave and wash up a bit so Lee didn't get the same scratchy moldy experience although it was still a bit stinky. But it was still some kind if perfect. He remembers the moan that reached his ears after their lips made contact, the ghost of a phantom touch on the side of his face and back of his neck and he's sure the older man would have grabbed his dreadlocks an yanked hard if he'd only been allowed to touch and it's that thought that caused Lee to let out a soft whimper of want before he pulled away.

The first time happened months ago, after that he'd been too terrified to attempt it too often for fear of being caught and the repercussions that may follow because of it but he gave into temptation eventually and he hasn't been able to stop himself since.

The boy sighed as he let his arm drop down onto his bed all over again. Merlin he's a mess. Not even Fred and George have ever gotten him this deep into trouble before and their pranks were legendary. What's worse is the fact that Lee can't tell his best friends about his problem. What he wouldn't do to just have someone to talk to about all this. But he can't

If someone were to find out, if anyone found out...

Lee doesn't even want to think about what would happen then.

Lee glanced over towards the watch hanging over the nightstand near the window, briefly catching sight of the crescent moon in the velvet sky. It's late; if he isn't going to do something productive he might as well sleep right?

Letting out a deep breath Lee slowly sat up and got off the bed heading over to the bathroom. To get ready to sleep when he suddenly heard his fireplace roar with flames announcing a fire call before a voice suddenly gave a shout.

"Jordan! Jordan where the hell are you, we have a crisis on our hands." Lee frowned as he quickly ran into the living room where he could hear his boss, Abbey Lockwood's voice screeching excitedly "Jordan!"

Lee stuck his head into the bright flames, "I'm right here. Really I heard you the first time-"

"Where the hell have you been and exactly why aren't you dressed? This is the biggest news story we've had since the Triwizard tournament and you're lying about at home?"

Lee rolled his eyes, "You're the one who told me to go home remember?"

"Never mind that I need you down here right now, we have breaking news and I want all of my best journalists and anchors working on it."

Lee frowned, "What's going on?"

"Prison break at Azkaban." The woman said not even bothering to mask the excitement in her voice, as if a bunch if murderous criminals getting out to wreak havoc on society was a good thing, "Rumor has it he-who-must-not-be-named went in to go get his followers. Aurors are in an absolute tizzy about the affair demanding to know how anyone managed to get passed the dementors. Anyway I need you down here for the news broadcast and..."

Lee was barely paying attention and his eyes were blown wide. He quickly spoke, interrupting the woman's ramblings, "Exactly who got out?"

"His followers from what we understand. Avery, Wilkes and a few others although we haven't gotten the full report yet. That's why I need you here; you've had more time around Azkaban than any of the others, I need you to start digging for answers."

Lee swallowed hard but still nodded, "Right I'm on my way."

The fire died away and Lee all but ran to his bedroom, hazardously tossing his clothes to the floor as he looked for something to wear all while his heart raced and his breaths came out on quick pants. He felt like he was panicking but it wasn't panic that the dark teen felt, it was excitement, fear and maybe just a little bit of hope.

Lee had just tugged on his jacket and slipped his wand in its holster when he suddenly heard a noise.

Loud tapping against his bedroom window. Lee might have ignored it and thought it to just be a bird or some sort of tree branch if it weren't for the fact that he lived in the middle of the city far away from any trees of any sort. In the muggle world at home Lee would have thought it to be a coincidence. In the wizard world however there's no such thing as a coincidence.

Pausing for a moment Lee approached the window, seeing nothing but the clear night sky on the other side of the glass frame he might have ignored it if it weren't for the tapping he heard all over again. With all the Gryffindor courage he could muster Lee quickly reached out and opened the window, a gust of cool night air hit him in the face and Lee frowned since he couldn't see anything. He leaned out of the window and tried to find the source of the noise only to gasp in surprise when he was suddenly grabbed, yanked out through the window and hauled up into the air. The teen let out a brief scream of surprise when he was dragged up into the air before scrapping to get a tight grasp on the body whose arms were wrapped around his waist.

"Holy shit!" Lee cursed as he looked down at the street much further down below only for a warm chuckle to break his terrified thoughts and bring him back to the figure that snatched him. "What-... Rabastan?"

The older man gave him a grin and Lee could do nothing more than stare in shock before he stuttered out, "What-how..."

"I said I'd have you remember?"

Lee does remember, but that's hardly the point here.

"No I mean-" the teen was cut off when a pair I lips suddenly met his own, claiming his mouth in a possessive kiss that left the teen feeling breathless by the time the older man pulled back. Lee gasped and his hands clenched in Rabastan's robes. It felt so much better than it did a while back. Rabastan smelled heavenly like fresh cut grass and oak, he was shaved clean and Lee couldn't help but moan since he could actually feel Rabastan kiss him _back_ this time, completely unhindered by Azkaban security magic that made every touch feel like a whisper of air. Lee was lost in these thoughts when the older man spoke and brought him back to reality.

"You're coming with us."

Lee sighed and shook his head. "No."

"Why not?"

"You mean besides the fact that I'm a muggleborn?" Lee looked away, "You know why, I-I care about both of you a lot. But I don't agree with what you're doing."

"You know, we could just take you by force. Lock you up in the manor and claim you as a war prisoner-"

"You could," The boy started holding the older man's gaze, "But you won't."

Rabastan said nothing for a moment before his face broke out in a grin, "Fine. Roddy said you'd refuse bloody Gryffindor morals. Alright then, I suppose we only have a few hours."

"What do you mean by...wait Roddy?"

At that Rabastan's grin grew wider and he suddenly let go of the teen quickly reminding Lee of the fact that they were still hovering in midair. He'd forgotten to wonder exactly how they were doing that and loosened his grip on the older man causing him to plummet the moment Rabastan let go and he screamed before he was suddenly caught all over again. And he was left gasping wide eyed in shock as he was hauled onto some sort of pole just before his lips were claimed in another kiss. This one just a little less intense than the first but it was enough to bring Lee back to his senses and he found himself on a broom facing Rodolphus Lestrange.

The older man smirked and Lee huffed out a growl as he tried to catch his breath. "You two are insane."

"I thought that was obvious." Rodolphus said and Lee could hear Rabastan laughing somewhere in the distance. "So a night on the town is it?"

"I have work." Lee bit his bottom lip, "I can't... I shouldn't-"

"But you will." Rodolphus said smoothly as he brushed back a dread lock that had fallen over Lee's face and the boy just noticed how different he looked. His appearance still looked a bit haggard considering the fact that he's spent the past couple of years in Azkaban that should be expected but he was still quite handsome. His beard was trimmed shorter, his hair was clean although it was still a tangled mess and he thankfully didn't smell of death the way he did before.

Just like his brother, they tasted clean but felt like sin.

Lee took in the man's features and lifted a hand to touch his cheek and jaw like the first time and he spoke before he could stop himself.

"What about Bellatrix, where's she?"

Rodolphus didn't even bat an eye at the mention of his wife's name as he leaned in to kiss Lee on the lips. "Don't be naïve. We both know where she is."

Lee said nothing when Rabastan was suddenly at his side with that grin still in place. "It's as good a diversion as any."

Lee didn't say anything to that or rather he didn't get the chance to as the broom he was on took a sudden dip before shooting up into the sky and he gasped as he wrapped his arms around the older Lestrange since he just noticed that he was seated with his back turned towards the front of the broom. Rodolphus chuckled and Lee could hear Rabastan cackle loudly somewhere nearby and he couldn't help but smile.

It's funny how much things can change in six months.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Six months.

How interesting it is when things change.

"Harry… Harry are you awake?"

The boy that lived looked up at the door to find his cousin peeking around the side as he squinted through the darkness in the room.

He was awake, sitting on his bed near the window as he used the moonlight to read the book that Draco gave him a few months ago on his sixteenth birthday. It was an ancient relic, written in parseltongue and given to the Malfoy's as a gift a long time ago. Draco found it in the family library and gave it to Harry since he thought it would be of more interest to the ex-Gryffindor since he could actually speak parseltongue.

Harry wasn't so sure, he wasn't even sure that he'd be able to read the book when Draco gave it to him so he was more than just a little surprised when the words swirled and he suddenly realized that the swirls were starting to make sense.

It was fascinating.

There were hundreds of spells and potions detailed in the book, some dark and some not. Recently Harry found a spell that's left him absolutely absorbed, absolutely absorbed since he was trying desperately to find its counter spell.

When Harry got back to Privet drive for the Easter holidays he got straight to work to try and find it so he spent most of his time in his room and managed to lose track of time. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia rarely ever bothered with him these days; it seemed Dudley's sudden changes had caused a change in the muggle couple a change that left them empty. Mere shells of their former selves.

But Harry didn't really mind Dudley's change, he was different, very different but in a good way Harry thought.

He's always thought that things between him and his cousin might have started out differently if his Aunt and Uncle had just treated him a bit better from the start. If they'd treated him like a human being, he and Dudley might have been childhood friends instead of enemies the way they started out if they'd only been a bit kinder. Now things are different and Dudley isn't so much an enemy as an awkward cousin who can't seem to make eye contact with him for too long.

"Yeah, I'm up." Harry turned towards the entrance and shut his book to give the teen a small smile, Dudley looked away and his hand clenched on the door before he quickly slipped inside and shut the door behind him as he made his way over to the bed.

"You got some letters today." Dudley said as he sat on the bed and Harry just noticed the letters in the taller teen's hand. "I grabbed them before Dad could burn them the way he usually does."

"Thanks." Harry said as Dudley handed him a stack of letters and briefly flipped through them. There were a few from Draco and a few other house mates; Theo, Neville, Luna and Pansy. Harry barely suppressed a shiver, what on earth could she be on about now?

There was a letter from Ron, the twins, a separate letter from Arthur, Remus and Tonks most likely about Sirius. Harry barely spared the letters from Ginny and Hermione a glance as he tossed them aside. After everything that happened he couldn't understand how they could still believe that he'd ever want anything to do with either of them. Harry paused to just stare at the last letter written with smooth cursive letters made by short precise strokes and smiled. There was no name on the letter other than his own, but that didn't stop Harry from instantly knowing who it was from.

He really needs to get back to work on that counter spell.

"I-…" Harry looked up at the other teen and found Dudley sitting with a letter of his own on his lap. He'd lost a lot of weight over the course of the last year, grew out his hair and stopped dressing in those atrocious tacky clothes that he used to wear. He dressed less like a muggle, changed the way he walked and talked, became a completely different person. But as Harry watched his cousin he suddenly remembered that while Dudley might have changed from the ignorant little terror he used to be before the year began he was still just a little bit selfish. If he'd really just saved Harry's letters he would have saved them till the next morning or just given them to Harry when he got them. Instead he waited till midnight, when his mother and father would be fast asleep.

No, if Dudley waited for this long it was because he wanted someone to talk to. Away from Durmstrang the only person that he could count on to listen was Harry. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were ashamed of him and of themselves. After years of treating Harry like dirt and labeling him as a freak, their son, their flesh and blood started doing magic right there in their house. He got a letter from Durmstrang just a few days after that. Uncle Vernon tried burning the letters, throwing them away and even just locking out the owls that arrived and Aunt Petunia did all she could to stop her son from turning into a freak but it was all to no use.

A week later professors from Durmstrang arrived and took Dudley away, kicking and screaming as it is wizard law for any muggleborn children that discover their abilities at a late age be sent to Durmstrang since they'd be more equipped to deal with such children. From what Harry understood the treatments Dudley underwent were drastic and somewhat traumatic, resulting in the quiet, more reserved somewhat… dare he say it, sweeter Dudley sitting beside him. Although Dudley's change wasn't all of Durmstrang's doing another part of it was due to-

"Viktor sent me a gift today, along with a letter." Dudley said brushing his hair back behind his ears with a small smile, "He got some time away from the team and went to Paris with his parents, but he says that he'd like to take me with him next time. Show me how to fly on a broom properly instead of just falling about the way I have been." Dudley finished off with a chuckle and Harry couldn't help but let his smile grow bit more at the sight.

"That's great Dudley, I'm glad you're getting on so well."

"Thanks." Dudley looked up at Harry with a sigh as he just looked away, "But, he wants… He wants me to go home with him for the summer to meet his parents."

"Really?" Harry shifted a bit in his seat as he let out a soft snort, "Moving a bit quickly aren't you? Next he'll be asking you to marry him."

The raven haired wizard finished off with a laugh only for Dudley to stare back at him as a light blush spread across his cheeks and Harry gaped.

"Merlin… How-what did you say?"

"I said yes." The older teen said quietly and Harry's eyes went wide.

"Do Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon know?"

"I'm eighteen; technically they don't need to know."

"Dudley-"

"Harry I love him."

"It hasn't even been a year-"

"Do you love Raymond?" Dudley suddenly asked and Harry froze as his cousin got up off the bed and started pacing, "Then I can be in love with Viktor."

Raymond isn't is real name, but a while back after he and Harry got involved with one another, they thought it would just be safer if no one else knew about their relationship. The only reason Dudley knew about him was because he'd found one of the letters that he sent to Harry and the older teen asked who it was. Harry made up a name and so far Dudley seemed convinced.

Harry sighed raking a hand through his hair, "It's different with me and Raymond, we've known each other for years. You only realized you were a wizard a few months ago."

"And?"

"And I know how Viktor's been helping you over the past few months. He's been helping you fit in and giving you all this attention. Tutoring you and buying you all sorts of gifts. What if you're confusing infatuation with love?" Harry asked and Dudley paused for a brief moment before shaking his head, "I don't care. Viktor makes me happy and I'm happier there than here."

Harry looked down at the bed for a moment, "I still think you should tell your parents."

"No."

"Dudley, you can't just disappear they should at least know-"

"They won't let me marry Viktor if they find out, even if I'm technically legal according to muggle law, they'll just try to stop me." Dudley said and Harry gave another sigh, "You can't just leave. They still love you, you know."

The taller teen shook his head with a bitter laugh, "My mother hates me for the same reason she hates you, the same reason she hated Aunt Lily. She was jealous of her you know? She's still jealous, last time my grades from Durmstrang came in do you know what the first thing is she asked me? She asked me what you got and if I did better than you."

"What did you say?" Harry cringed as Dudley kept moving, "I lied and said the marks don't work the same way. She didn't even care about how well I was doing. She went to her room and locked the door when I tried to show her some of the spells I learned to do. Harry I can't let them meet him. They're so… Viktor is so proud of his magic and his family. He says that squibs are a result of over-concentrated wizard blood. That muggleborn children are necessary to keep bloodlines fresh. He's convinced that since I'm muggle born we're guaranteed to have magical children for generations. My clean blood to preserve his pureblood. He can't meet them Harry, my parents won't even accept the fact that I'm a wizard, how do you think they'll react to me marrying another man? Having a child-"

Dudley cut himself off with a heavy sigh and Harry just watched him for a moment before he spoke, "Is having a child something that you want to do?"

"Viktor's always wanted a big family and-"

"This isn't about Viktor Dudley it's about you. Is that, getting married now and having a child what _you_ want?"

Dudley paused, "I want to be happy and Viktor makes me happy and even if I didn't want to stay with Viktor. I already know that I'm gay Harry and one day I do want to have kids, but here with… muggles don't understand."

"You know you were a muggle a few months ago." Harry sighed, "Your parents are muggles."

"Exactly." Dudley said as if Harry proved his point and the green eyed teen just watched as his cousin started moving again. "I remember what I was like and I'm really sorry for the way I treated you-"

"You already apologized-"

"If it hadn't been for the accident, if I hadn't suddenly tapped into my magical core, I'd probably be in jail by now. I was such a complete and total utter prick. But now, I feel good Harry. I feel like I have a purpose like there's really something I could make of myself. But I can't do that as long as I stay here, we both know that."

Yes he does. Harry shifted on the bed a bit more as he spoke, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Dudley said raking his hair in frustration, "I don't know. This would all be so much easier if I was a pureblood you know."

"Would Viktor still want you then?"

The taller teen froze and gave Harry a look close to complete and total utter horror, "I-I, of course he would… wouldn't he?"

It was then that they both heard the sounds of loud tapping against the window.

"What was that?" Dudley asked as Harry got up from the bed and walked up to the window only for a beaming smile to spread over the wizards face as he opened it and looked through the bars out into the open night air to see a seemingly horseless carriage hovering just outside his window while Fred and George were practically hanging from the door.

"Bars again?"

"You'd think he'd learnt his lesson-"

"After the last time."

Harry just smiled, glancing at the three thestrals at the front of the carriage. They were pitch black as their large wings flapped rhythmically in place as he asked, "What are you guys doing here and where did you get that?"

The twins shrugged, "The in-laws are visiting-"

"And since Ronniekins has been so miserable without you around-"

"And lady Zabini said she'd let us borrow her horses of death-"

"We decided to pop out and come get you." George finished with a grin and Harry started to frown, "Lady Zabini?"

Just then Harry saw a figure appear seemingly out of nowhere, or rather his head appear hovering above the thestral at the front, dark skin and an arrogant smirk.

"Evening Harry."

"Blaise… I always forget you have one of those."

"Not as good as yours though." Blaise admitted and Harry gave a snort, "I'm surprised they didn't bully you into letting them drive."

At that Blaise's smirk just got wider as Fred spoke. "We tried-"

"They neighed-"

"And growled-"

"And hissed-"

"They don't like us." George finished off with a glare aimed at the general direction of the front and one of the thestrals seemed to huff at him shaking its head before facing straight ahead.

"Balthazar, Castiel and Uriel wouldn't let them." The dark skinned wizard said before nodding towards the carriage, "Get your things, I promised my fiancé I'd bring him back a Potter and I plan on delivering."

"Alright-"

"That was-"

"Our line!"

Harry turned back towards the room and immediately headed towards his trunk underneath the bed. He never unpacked it whenever he went back to the Dursley's, past experience has taught him that his possessions were much safer in his trunk which was protected by spells and wards. Although Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon barely bothered with him these days, its better safe than sorry.

Harry quickly grabbed his wand and snatched the book of spells from the bed when he suddenly remembered that he wasn't alone. Dudley stood awkwardly by the wall and for a moment the green eyed wizard wasn't sure what to do or say.

Dudley gave him a small smile, "Its O.K I won't tell."

"Dudley-" and suddenly there was a loud explosion as the bars on the windows were blasted apart and Dudley's eyes went wide as he rushed forward. "We both know Dad heard that. Hurry up." The taller teen pulled out his wand

Twelve and a half inch willow with a dragon string core.

Harry remembers the first time he saw Dudley's wand watching him heal a cut he'd gotten on his arm in the kitchen. It was deep and bleeding heavily, Harry never found out how that happened

The taller teen cast a shrinking spell along with a feather light spell on his trunk before picking it up and giving it to his cousin. At the expression on Harry's face Dudley only rolled his eyes.

"I already came of age remember? You haven't."

"Right."

"Harry, time to go." Fred called and Harry could hear his uncle give a shout as he stumbled out of bed down the hall.

In a split second Harry suddenly wondered about that cut Dudley got, about exactly how much his Aunt and Uncle have changed over the past few months. Yes, they used to hurt Harry in the past but hey wouldn't hurt their own son would they?

Somehow Harry wasn't willing to leave the idea to chance.

"C'mon." Harry said taking Dudley's hand only for the taller teen to resist him with a frown, "What?"

"I'm not leaving you here with them. It was different when you were a muggle, now-"

"BOY!"

"Harry get moving!"

"Not without Dudley."

The twins shared a look and Blaise just let out a sigh, "Fine just get out of there."

"Uh, Blaise-"

"Molly won't be a problem, he can stay at the manor, Mother's been looking for a new project anyway."

"Dudley… Dudley!"

"Damn it Potter, get in the carriage right now!"

Suddenly there were thundering footsteps headed straight for the door, Harry yanked his cousin along with him and they quickly climbed into the carriage, Dudley gave the house one more worried glance just as Harry's door flew open and he saw his father's face filled with rage. It didn't take much convincing after that as the teen quickly scrambled into the carriage, Blaise immediately pulled on the reins and the thestrals took off.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a quiet night, well about as quiet as the Burrow could be on any other evening.

The Burrow was filled with noise. Laughter and talking came from the home that had only grown after Harry arrived with Blaise and the twins a few hours ago, surrounded by the sounds of surrounding nature. Faintly Molly could hear the sounds of running water coming from the pond a bit away from the house, crickets and cicadas serenating the night away nearby, the chickens soft coos from the coop, Pig and Icarus hooting softly from their perch. And yet somehow, Molly's never felt more isolated and alone.

She was perched up on the roof, seated on one of the mats that she'd set out to dry on the roof the day before as she stared up at the night sky wondering how on earth her world managed to get flipped upside down in a matter of months.

This isn't the way that things are meant to be, this isn't what was meant to happen at all. Everything was going wrong despite the fact that Albus promised, he told her-

Molly sighed.

Things are not going the way they're meant to, but-

But the kids seem so, they look so happy especially Ron and Molly-

The redhead cut the thought off, lying on her back deep and thought.

Ginny's been… problematic as of late, she's been acting out, arguing with her siblings, arguing with her father. Molly's about the only one she's been able to have a civil conversation with, but even those conversations were strained at best.

It's her fault of course, Molly knows she's the one that made her daughter the way she is now. She made her promises, made sure her darling daughter followed the path she was meant to follow and never strayed. Convinced her that the Thomas boy just wasn't good enough for her and insisted that she start noticing Harry. She transferred her obsession with the greater good over to her daughter and now Molly feels-

She feels…

Molly doesn't know what she feels.

Her children are different now, not vastly different but they're better and just so happy so by all rights Molly should be happy because they're happy, but-

"Things aren't supposed to go this way."

Molly said quietly with another sigh when another voice suddenly spoke and she gasped in surprise.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing."

Molly's head snapped to the side and she found someone walking over towards her, stepping awkwardly along the uneven roof as she clutched a bottle of whiskey and a glass in one hand. She had dark mocha skin and brown eyes, long black hair in curls going down to her shoulders and wearing a black dress that went up just above her knee and clung to her curves. Molly placed her hand on her chest as she caught her breath. The brown eyed woman let out a frustrated sigh when her heel slipped and her ankle twisted to an awkward angle so she paused to slip her shoes off and held them in her free hand as she made her way over.

"Alexis." Molly said under her breath with a roll of her eyes before speaking a little louder, "Zabini."

"Weasley." The woman said once she'd made her way over taking a moment to frown at her surroundings before slipping her wand from a holster strapped to her arm and transfigured one of the other mats into a cushion before she carefully sat down and arranged herself while Molly just watched as she somehow managed to effortlessly look like she was posing for one of those muggle magazines as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed one leg over the other to set her shoes down.

"How on earth did you manage to get up here?"

Alexis gave her a bored look as she tried to get more comfortable, "The same way you did. I used magic."

"I didn't use magic I went up through the attic." Molly said gesturing towards the closed window beside her and Alexis barely spared it a glance as she spoke uncorking the whiskey bottle and balancing the glass on her knees.

"I should have known, really if it weren't for the magic in this house I might have thought that you were a squib in hiding." Molly glared at the other woman who simply ignored her as she poured out a full glass of the bright amber liquid into the glass before handing it to the redhead.

Molly just blinked at the glass and stared at it while Alexis rolled her eyes, "Honestly Weasley if I wanted to poison you I wouldn't be so obvious about it. Besides, Ronald already made me promise that I wouldn't touch you so you really have nothing to be worried about. At least not where I'm concerned."

Molly let out another sigh at the mention of her son's name before taking the glass just as the woman continued, "I'd be more worried about your tailor, clearly whoever's making your clothes is hoping to ruin your life by destroying your already damaged reputation."

Molly glared at the woman, "I made this dress myself."

Alexis paused to look the woman over with a cringe, "Oh that explains so much."

Blue eyes went wide before they quickly narrowed, Molly's glare got deadly and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she opened her mouth to give the woman a piece of her mind when.

"I'm taking Ronald shopping with me tomorrow," Alexis started as she lifted the bottle of whiskey to take a sip "He needs a few more clothing options. You should come with us and maybe I could show you what the inside of a proper clothing shop looks like."

Molly paused and just turned away to stare down at her glass, somehow the insult didn't cut as deeply as it should have.

"I don't think so."

"Why not?" Alexis asked with a frown before giving a shrug, "If you're worried about money don't bother as long as I can fix the offence your daily eyesores cause me then I am happy to foot the bill."

"I don't need any of your bloody money _Lady_ Zabini."

"Then what-"

"I don't think Ron…" Molly sighed, shaking her head to look away and Alexis gave a snort, "Oh please, as if he's the problem here."

"What-" 

"Come off it Weasley." The dark woman said with a roll of her eyes while Molly just stared at her in confusion as she continued, "Ron's been begging for your attention since the holidays started. You're the one that keeps avoiding him."

Molly didn't say a word as she just looked back up to the sky, "And I know that you haven't been answering any of his letters since he was resorted. You know, just because he lives at the manor now doesn't mean you can't come see him. Arthur came for a visit just the other day after the holidays started. Percy came to see him the next day."

Molly couldn't help but turn to look at the woman, "You saw Percy?"

Alexis glanced at her before giving a shrug, "He came to see Ron. He's a very bright young man, very level headed. Such a shame what happened at the ministry. He could do such great things if he only had the right guidance."

Molly looked away again and Alexis gave a heavy sigh, "Then again a loving mother might be what he needs most at this point."

"Excuse me?! What gives you the right to-"

"When was the last time you spoke to him?" Zabini asked as she stared right into Molly's eyes and the redheaded woman took a shallow breath, "When he abandoned this family-"

"Abandoned?" Alexis stared at her incredulously, "You say that like he just threw a tantrum and left without taking a second look back."

"We warned him about the ministry." Molly said as she shot up from her spot and glared at the other, "We told him, begged him to reconsider going back but he ignored us-"

"My God woman, exactly what did you expect him to do? Just give up a job and a career he's worked so hard for because of the unconfirmed suspicions of his family?" Alexis said looking offended by the mere thought, "I'm not sure if you've noticed Weasley, but this isn't some muggle fairytale world where all ends well as long as you believe in happy thoughts or whatever it is. The boy had a choice to make and he made it, hating him for making it isn't fair to him."

Molly's eyes widened, "I don't hate him-"

"Well you have a funny way of showing it." Alexis said as she took a swig of whiskey letting out a soft hiss before she spoke with a slight croak to her voice due to the alcohol's burn, but Molly couldn't enjoy the sight of lady Zabini sounding so undignified at that moment. "That boy works so hard, to not only build a life for himself but to make you proud as well. He wants to build a legacy for the Weasley family, help it gain the respect he thinks you all deserve."

Molly shrank back down as Alexis continued, "You know I overheard him talking to Ron at the manor on his visit. Percy said he envied him, he wishes he'd had the chance to be resorted; so he could have ended up in Ravenclaw or maybe Slytherin instead of Gryffindor. From what I understand he was never happy in that house, but he held out because he knew the fact that he was sorted into Gryffindor made you happy and if he'd been sorted into Slytherin it might have broken your heart." Alexis glanced down at Molly again as she finished, "He sacrificed his childhood for you, it's not fair of any of you to ask him to sacrifice his future."

"What would you have done?" Molly asked accusingly as she glared at the dark woman, "What would you have done if your child decided to take a path that you knew wouldn't end well."

Alexis sighed, "It's not our place to try and control our children's lives Weasley. All you can do is try to help, give him some advice, let him make his mistakes and if they do lead to failure be there to help him pick up the pieces when his world falls apart. When Blaise told me about Ron, I was ready to revoke his inheritance right there and then but then I remembered what an absolutely brilliant, handsome and talent wizard I have for a son. I remembered that I wouldn't be able to stand having him away from me and so I accepted his mistake. Because it happened and there's nothing left to do but to move forward. If you love Percy, you'll be there for him no matter what. You've already warned him and like I said before he's a bright young man he heard your warnings, you're his family how could he not? If things go badly for him, then your job is to be there for him when he asks for help."

Molly sighed as she stared at the glass filled with amber liquid in her hands, "He never came to Bill and Fleur's engagement party."

Alexis gave a snort, "What did you think would have happened if he had? I've seen tempers flare up in this poor excuse for a barn enough times to be sure that it wouldn't have gone well. I mean, think about it; would you go to a family gathering thinking that everyone that was there probably hated you?"

"I was hoping that we could have worked things out, on such a happy occasion-"

"Bullshit," Alexis said quite inelegantly as she took another swig of whiskey, but Molly could tell that she wasn't even remotely drunk just incredibly annoyed. "You were hoping you could convince Percy to quit. His presence here would have just started another argument; I don't blame him from staying away."

Molly's jaw tensed and Alexis just leaned back a little more in her seat, "Percy will come back eventually and when he does, you need to reign in that temper of yours and actually listen to him and what he wants. You need to let go of your children Molly, let them live their lives the way they want. Things may be working out differently than what you'd hoped but, isn't that a small price to pay for their happiness?"

The redheaded woman looked up at the other as she stared up with a lost look at the sky, "Had Blaise ended up in Gryffindor, I wouldn't have thought any different of him. Why is it that you can't do the same for Ron? Not all Slytherin are evil. It might surprise you to know that not all Gryffindor are good either… There's something very strange about Albus Dumbledore, I'd be careful around him if I were you."

Molly almost gaped, since that comment almost seemed to come out of nowhere but still somehow struck a nerve.

"What are you talking about?"

Alexis didn't answer the question, instead just taking another swig of whiskey before she spoke, "So will you be joining us tomorrow? I should probably find you something appropriate to wear though, can't have myself seen in the outside world with you looking like… this."

Molly let out a heavy sigh as she lifted the glass to take a gulp and hissed quietly as the alcohol burned down her throat. She's going to strangle this woman at some point.

Merlin, give her strength.

"I suppose, it would be nice to get out for a bit." Molly said as she looked down at the glass, "But I'm not wearing anything you get me, my clothes are perfectly fine thank you very much."

Alexis rolled her eyes, "Merlin, give me strength."

Molly let out a soft snort at that when there was a sudden crack that rang loudly through the air. It sounded like someone apparating onto the land somewhere nearby but at the same time something about it sounded wrong. It was much too loud for a simple apparition spell, the echo that followed carried on for too long and Molly could have sworn that she caught the scent of burning ash in the air.

"What on earth was that?" Alexis asked as she immediately set the bottle of whiskey down and carefully started to stand up while Molly did the same, "I don't know."

The redheaded witch leaned over the side of the roof to look down below only for a scream to catch her attention on the other side of the house.

"HELP!"

Alexis immediately pulled the wand from her holster and grabbed a hold of Molly's arm before the other could protest, moving faster than Molly would have thought that she was capable considering the amount of alcohol that she's had. Only to hold her breath when she suddenly felt the pull of apparition before popped back out just as quickly to the front of the house. Molly blinked her eyes repeatedly only to gasp when she saw Lee Jordan on the ground in front of the house, struggling to hold up the bodies of two men on each of his shoulders, with the remains of what looked like a broom scattered around him.

"Lee?!"

The woman asked as she quickly approached while Alexis followed and Lee stopped form where he'd had his mouth open to scream for help again and looked up at the two women. His face was streaked with tears running over a deep bleeding wound slashed over his cheek and bleeding down to his jaw. The boy looked incredibly disheveled and the two that he was trying to hold up looked worse for wear. They looked like dead weight just hanging off of the boy and Molly could see blood on their clothes.

Lee collapsed on his knees with the two men as the women approached and he sobbed, "I'm sorry Molly, I'm so sorry but I didn't know where else to go and-"

"Lee what happened?" Molly interrupted as she crouched down in front of the boy and moved one of the men off of his shoulder, "We were attacked, I don't know how they found us but-"

Molly suddenly let out a sharp gasp and she dropped the body in her arms the moment she recognized the man. Alexis' eyes went wide.

"Rodolphus?!" Alexis moved the shaggy hair covering the face of the man still on Lee's shoulder, "Rabastan… what on earth… they're supposed to be in Azkaban-how… Oh dear."

"Lee…" Molly couldn't finish her sentence, not even sure what she would say if she could as her mind malfunctioned completely at the fact that there were two deranged death eaters at her door step.

"They're hurt badly, please Molly I don't know where else to go. If I take them to Saint Mungos…" Lee cut himself off as his voice cracked before he grabbed a hold of the woman's arm and begged as the tears continued to fall, "I'm begging you, please help me. I'll explain everything later I swear."

"Lee they're death eaters! They've killed and hurt so many people-"

"I'm in love with them!" The boy suddenly blurted out and Molly's eyes went wide, "I know that they've done some horrible things but please just help them for me. I'll do anything."

Molly stared into the boy's eyes at a complete loss for what to do when Alexis spoke, "I have the best healing spells outside of anyone from Saint Mungos, I could heal them enough to recover. It's up to you Molly."

Molly considered the woman's words, considered the conversation they had just a few moments ago. But accepting the fact that your son is pregnant with the child of someone you don't approve of and helping known murderers as a favor your sons' best friend seemed like just a bit of a leap.

"Molly please." Lee said again as his voice broke into a sob. Suddenly the front door opened just a few feet away and the twins appeared in the door.

"What's going on out here?" Fred asked as he stepped out onto the door step only for both to blink in shock before George spoke, "Lee, what-"

The twins stepped closer only to freeze when they recognized the unconscious men lying beside their best friend and mother.

"Holy Shit!"

Both said at the same time which seemed to snap Molly out of her thoughts as she immediately made a decision. The redhead swallowed hard before she spoke, "Get them into the house, put them in your old room."

Lee sighed in relief but the tears didn't stop falling, "Thank you Molly."

The twins all but gaped, "Mum-"

"Just do as I say." Molly said as she grabbed a hold of Rodolphus again, Alexis moved to his other side as she lifted his arm around her shoulders and leaned his weight on her only to let out a groan at the blood that slipped down her shoulder and onto her dress. "This was made from fairy silk."

George and Fred moved closer albeit a bit hesitantly.

Fred helped Alexis carry Rodolphus while George helped Lee with Rabastan as he hissed, "You are telling us _everything_ later."

"Sweet Merlin Lee, Death eaters?! Really? And two of them at that?!" Fred hissed out as they carried the two to the house and Lee took a shuddering breath when Alexis spoke, "There'll be plenty of time for questions later, we need to get them upstairs."

Molly stood up straight and immediately pulled out her wand, "Tell your father, Bill, Fleur and Charlie to come out we need to put up new wards."

The twins nodded and Molly started walking towards the edge of the Burrow, ignoring the shocked screams and gasps of protests she heard from the house mere moments later. Before she heard Arthur running out to catch up with her along with Bill, Charlie and Fleur.

"Molly. Molly! What in Merlin's name-"

"There's no time to explain. We need to protect the Burrow." Molly said quickly just knowing that if she tried to explain she'd find a way to talk herself out of the absolutely insane decision she decided to make on a whim.

Damn Alexis for corrupting her so easily!

They set up the new wards working as quickly as possible while still managing to make them strong enough to keep any unwanted guests at bay in case any more Death eaters decided to show up on their doorstep.

In a move that admittedly surprised even Molly herself, she agreed to Arthur's suggestion that the wards keep out any and all intruders, whether they were light or dark. Including Albus Dumbledore, she wasn't sure why, but she knew that Albus couldn't find out about this, not if they were all going to stay at least moderately safe.

On the way back to the house both Arthur and Bill drilled her on what was going on and why the Lestrange brothers were taking up residence in their house. Molly just sighed and said that she couldn't turn Lee away. Surprisingly enough Arthur smiled and they quickly made their way back to try and get some answers from Lee instead.

Only when they got back the house was quiet, with nothing more than Lee's sobs filling the otherwise silent house. As they made their way up the stairs towards the attic where the twins used to sleep they found various members of their family standing around the door with shocked expressions.

Arthur frowned as he paused beside Fred to ask, "What's wrong?"

Shockingly enough the twin was rendered speechless as George just pointed into the room. Ron stood by the door with Blaise standing beside the teen with his arms around the redhead and they both just stared at the two on the floor in the center of the room.

Harry was on his knees, with a strange looking book lying open beside him as he let out heavy panting breaths. Lee was on the ground with him. He had his arms wrapped tight around the younger man's neck as he cried and sobbed into his neck.

"Thank you Harry, thank you so much."

"What's going on?" Molly asked as she entered the room giving Ron and Blaise a glance causing the redhead to look away before she let out a soft sigh and looked over towards the beds. Rodolphus lay on the one to the right and Rabastan on the left.

Dudley seemed to be at Rabastan's side, healing his many cuts and bruises while Alexis stood leaning over Rodolphus as she inspected his left arm carefully.

"Incredible." The woman said in wonder as she dropped the man's hand and rushed over to Rabastan to inspect his arm as well, causing Dudley to pause as he just watched her.

Molly's frown deepened, "Zabini what-"

"The marks… they're gone." Lady Zabini said softly before she stood up straight to turn towards the others. "Harry got rid of them… he removed the dark marks."

Molly's eyes went wide.

So much can change in six months.

But what changes isn't what's important.

What's important is how it starts. One event leads to another which leads to another and so forth and so forth.

A chain reaction of unforeseeable events

This chain in particular started with a simple ride on a broom.

"Relax."

Ron blushed at the deep sultry voice that spoke against his ear, silently praying that the Slytherin standing right behind him couldn't see the red that was slowly spreading over his face.

The redhead took a deep breath of the cool night air and wrapped his hands around the broom he stood over as he cursed himself for agreeing to do this in the first place. He bit back a squeak as two arms went around him from behind while a hard chest pressed against his back to hold the front of the broom.

Ron tried to ignore the heat of the other body that was slowly seeping through his clothes and into his skin while warm breath brushed up against his neck, making the redhead curse himself some more for agreeing to get on a broom with Blaise Zabini of all people.

"Tell me again why it is that I have to sit on the front." Ron growled in annoyance when Blaise suddenly moved forward and spoke right against his ear, resulting in an involuntary shiver to go speeding down his spine.

"Because I drive better from behind."

Ron's blush instantly darkened at that and he was about to tell Zabini off when the Slytherin suddenly kicked off the ground and they went shooting up into the sky.

The night was not going the way he'd planned at all.

He was just going to go outside the castle, get some fresh air and clear his head. That's all.

How on earth did things get so screwed up?!

 **A/N:**

 **So just to give you guys a heads up** _ **so far**_ **the pairings are like this:**

 **Ron/Blaise, Rodolphus/Lee/Rabastan, Harry/Severus (Top Harry/bottom Severus, cause that's how I roll), Luna/Theo, Pansy/Neville, Viktor/Dudley, later Charlie/Dudley, Sirius/Arthur (maybe)**

 **However these pairings may change at a later date**

 **Haven't decided on what I'm going to do with Remus, Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, Percy, the twins, Bill and Fleur yet.**

 **The next chapters are not going to be as long as this one, this was just the intro.**

 **Anyway please review**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter might be a little confusing but please bear with me.**

 **It's in Ron's P.O.V starting from six months before the first chapter with a flash back. The whole story takes off from this chapter.**

 **Usual apologies**

 **Disclaimer: See previous chapter**

He'd been feeling off all week.

Nauseous and tired, with the strangest aches and the worst sick spells he's had in years. But he thought he could just wait it out, thinking it was nothing more than a stomach bug that would wear itself out eventually since he rarely ever got sick.

Unfortunately after he fainted on the Quidditch pitch midflight during a game he realized that he couldn't avoid the medical wing any longer. Now he sits on a cot in the infirmary with his two best friends standing a few feet away while he just stared at the mediwitch in complete confusion.

"Pregnant?" Ron gave a scoff and shook his head as he stared at the older woman in amusement, "Very funny, seriously what's wrong with me?"

Harry and Hermione stood at the end of his cot both looking shocked beyond all belief. Harry's mouth had fallen open in a wide gape and Hermione's eyes looked like they were going to fall right out of their sockets any minute.

Madame Pomfrey sighed, rubbing her temples for a moment with one hand braced on the monitor beside her that had a very distinct looking lump in the center of the magical green and black screen, "You are pregnant Mr. Weasley."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you a-"

"No I'm not!" Ron said with a shout as his eyes went wide at the look on the woman's face showing just how serious she was in her diagnosis and he felt a wave of panic wash over him because it's not true. It couldn't be true!

"I'm a man! I don't have a … you know," Ron gave a vague hand gesture towards the older woman's waist and she rolled her eyes as he finished, "How the bloody hell could I get pregnant?! It's impossible!"

"It is very possible Mr. Weasley and I would appreciate it if you refrained from using any vulgar language in my presence." The older woman said with a sigh and Ron's mouth fell open in a gape before he sputtered and practically screeched.

"Bu-…HOW?!" 

"I'd also appreciate it if you kept your voice down." Pomfrey said as she took a deep breath, "While it's true that ordinarily a man shouldn't be able to have children, there are many cases in which a man can fall pregnant either on purpose or by accident. One could take a potion that would allow for male pregnancy to be possible by creating an artificial womb of sorts. And sometimes, in very rare cases, a male's magical core has the ability produce a temporary womb in which a baby can be conceived. These men are referred to as carriers and are actually quite rare. It's nearly impossible to find a male carrier these days especially in the aftermath of the great measles epidemic that claimed so many lives, particularly those of carriers who seemed to have a weakness to the disease. I haven't come across a carrier in… Merlin in at least twenty years… until now I suppose."

Ron's mouth fell open in a gape, at a complete loss for words while Harry and Hermione seemed to be in a similar position. Madame Pomfrey sighed wondering how on earth she was going to handle this situation until she just decided to go with what she normally did when confronted with a girl that somehow found herself in the redhead's position.

"Mr. Weasley I know this is a lot to take in and I am sure that you're very shocked and confused but it would be wise for us to start thinking of the next step. Whether you believe it or not you do have a child inside of you, you're about two weeks along now and arrangements need to be made in preparation for its arrival." Another deep breath as she waved her wand and summoned her clipboard, "For now, I think it would be best to contact the father and inform him first."

Ron paled and Harry finally seemed to have broken loose from his shock as he asked, "Isn't Ron the father?"

"I think she meant the other father." Hermione stuttered out quietly beside him and Harry frowned before Pomfrey spoke, "For male pregnancy to be possible, the parties involved in whatever sexual intercourse took place must both be male Mr. Potter."

Harry's eyes snapped over to his best friend, seeming to fill with as much hurt and betrayal as they did with shock and Ron had to look away as he stepped closer to the cot.

"Ron, you… who is it?"

"I-" The redhead sputtered for a moment as his previously pale cheeks suddenly flushed and Hermione frowned while Harry stopped by the bed and his hands seemed to clench into fists where they rested on the edge of the cot.

"Ron who's the father? Who did you sleep with?"

The room fell silent and Madame Pomfrey said nothing as she watched the exchange until Ron let out a deep breath before he spoke.

"He doesn't matter."

"What?"

"It was just a stupid fling and it only happened once so it doesn't matter." Ron said clearly still avoiding Harry's gaze as he chose to look up at Pomfrey instead. "Do I have to tell him about it?"

The older woman paused, "Technically no, it's your body and you can choose to do whatever you want with it. He doesn't really have any official say but it would be best if-"

"Then he doesn't know."

"Ron-" Hermione started but Ron cut her off speaking clearly, "It was a mistake 'Mione. Can I get rid of it?"

"I'm afraid not. Like I said before, it's bound to your magical core, abortion is too risky to attempt. You risk your own life including the fetus."

"Just as well, I'm not sure if I-" He lifted a hand to touch his stomach before giving a sigh and shaking his head. The older woman's lips pursed together in a tight line before she spoke, "You do have other options Mr. Weasley, you could give the baby up for adoption. Children are hard to come by in the magical world, if you don't feel like you would be able to care for the child, there are many couples who would be glad to take your place."

"No, I-I don't think I'd be able to carry a child for nine months and then just give it away. For one thing mum would slaughter me alive. Giving a child away would make her angrier than just getting pregnant with one," Ron gave a snort before shaking his head, "Besides I… I don't think- I've always wanted kids-not this soon but still…"

"Ron, you can't possibly be thinking of keeping it." Hermione said as she stepped forward and Ron sighed, "I don't know… I can't give it away."

"But-"

"Miss Granger I understand that this is quite shocking for you too but this is ultimately Mr. Weasley's decision and I would hope that as his friends you will choose to support him in whatever choice he makes." The bushy haired girl opened her mouth to speak before just shrinking back into silence and the mediwitch gave a nod before looking back to the redhead. "There's still some time to decide. However, if you do intend on keeping it, then I would suggest informing the father-"

"No."

"You're going to need all the help you can get if you're going to-"

"I'll get help, just not from him. I mean I have my family, if they don't kill me first and my friends right guys?" Ron looked over at the two only for Hermione to shrink back while Harry's hands clenched even more with his knuckles going white, "Guys?... Harry-"

With that the boy that lived immediately turned around and stormed out of the infirmary slamming the large doors behind him and Hermione paused for a moment before running out after him leaving a shocked Ron behind as his chest filled with heartache.

"Harry."

Ron felt his eyes begin to sting and he quickly looked away when a hand fell on his shoulder to give a comforting squeeze, "Like I said before this is a lot to take in. As close as you three are I'm sure this will be nothing more than a bump in the road. Give them some time."

Ron nodded but said nothing as he looked down at his lap and his hands clenched while the hand left his shoulder and the older woman banished the monitor to make a few notes on her clipboard.

"In the meantime, I'll give you some potions for you to take, they'll help with the morning sickness and aches. The headmaster will also need to be informed I'm afraid."

Ron's head snapped up, "But-"

"School policy, there's nothing I can do." Pomfrey said raising her hand and Ron cursed softly under his breath as he raked a hand through his hair, "Brilliant as if things could get worse."

"They could get better if you informed the father."

"For the last time, no. He can't know anything about this."

The mediwitch pursed her lips together in a tight line again before she spoke, "Is there any particular reason why you don't want him to be informed?"

Ron looked up at her for a moment before dropping his gaze.

In all honesty, it probably would be best to tell him. But Ron can't face him just yet.

Not right now.

"It's…complicated."

The older woman said nothing as she kept making her notes and Ron growled in frustration as the complication came to mind and he remembered exactly how he got himself into this mess.

Although, if he had known that night would lead to him getting pregnant, he probably never would have left his bed.

~ FLASH BACK ~

"Relax."

Ron blushed at the deep sultry voice that spoke against his ear, silently praying that the slytherin standing right behind him couldn't see the red that was slowly spreading over his face.

The redhead took a deep breath of the cool autumn air and wrapped his hands around the broom he stood over as he cursed himself for agreeing to do this in the first place. He bit back a squeak as two arms went around him from behind while a hard chest pressed against his back to hold the front of the broom.

Ron tried to ignore the heat of the other body that was slowly seeping through his clothes and into his skin while warm breath brushed up against his neck, making the redhead curse himself some more for agreeing to get on a broom with Blaise Zabini of all people.

"Tell me again why it is that I have to sit on the front." Ron growled in annoyance when Blaise suddenly moved forward and spoke right against his ear, resulting in an involuntary shiver to go speeding down his spine.

"Because I drive better from behind."

Ron's blush instantly darkened at that and he was about to tell Zabini off when the slytherin suddenly kicked off the ground and they went shooting up into the sky.

The night was not going the way he'd planned at all.

He was just going to go outside the castle, get some fresh air and clear his head. That's all.

Harry's been a bit, overwhelming lately and Ron was starting to feel a little suffocated.

Not that he doesn't love being around his best friend, because he does, it's just that Harry's been more intense lately and somehow Ron knew that it had very little to do with him and probably everything to do with Cedric.

He asked Hermione if she knew what was wrong but apparently the bushy haired witch has been wrapped up in her own little world lately, too preoccupied with other things to really pay too much attention to him or Harry for the moment. Although Ron couldn't imagine what the girl was up to.

Either way, Ron left the tower about an hour ago. It was passed curfew and everyone else in his dorm room was asleep while the redhead just lay staring up at the canopy over his bed. Harry lay beside him, breathing softly against the back of Ron's neck with an arm wrapped around the redhead's waist.

It wasn't really that strange since he and Harry have shared a bed plenty of times before when there was nowhere else to sleep in the burrow or sometimes when Harry just didn't want to be alone. That much was a little comforting sometimes.

They've all been through a lot. The Wizard cup took a lot out of them especially Harry after Cedric's death. Over the past few months Ron learned that sometimes it just helped having another body close by in the dead of night, to chase away the dark and painful memories.

So sharing a bed wasn't anything new. But the way Harry touched him sometimes was a little...strange.

There was something oddly possessive about the way Harry behaved around him these days and Ron couldn't really say that he was completely comfortable with that.

After staring at the arm around his waist for a few more minutes Ron decided that he needed some fresh air. He quietly slipped out of the bed and got dressed in a pair of jeans a shirt and a homemade jumper. It wasn't all that cold out so there was no reason to take his robes.

The redhead slipped through the portrait hole, through the hallways and out into the open air where he wandered around a bit, careful to avoid Filch when he suddenly found himself standing near the stands on the Quidditch pitch and he couldn't help but stare at what he found there.

Blaise Zabini is a chaser for the slytherin Quidditch team, so of course Ron knew that he was good at flying. He's seen the Italian zip passed him multiple times during a game or when Slytherin was playing a different house and they watched from the stands, but he's honestly never seen Zabini like this before.

That usual rush and urgency that he had whenever he was flying during the game was gone, all that ruthless anger and brutality nonexistent as he almost seemed to just drift through the night sky in an easy rhythm. It was odd seeing the other wizard look so relaxed. He was so completely at ease as he shut his eyes and leaned back while the broom flew forward and moved in circles and curves high above the pitch almost seeming to dance on the breeze of its own will, while it carried the wizard along for the ride. The sight was made even more foreign since Zabini was wearing muggle clothes.

A pair of trainers and dark blue jeans, with an olive green long sleeve V-neck seeming to dip low due to the two top button's he left undone, which exposed long stretch of smooth chocolate colored skin going from his neck down over his chest. The Slytherin's broom dipped down low and his back arched back at the movement before soaring up into the sky all over again, completely oblivious to the world around him.

Ron blushed, for the moment not believing that he was actually checking out Blaise Zabini of all people. Not that he's never noticed Zabini before. It would take a blind man not to notice that the slytherin was incredibly good looking, even Ginny with her insistent dislike of the older wizard admitted to Ron once that he was indeed incredibly good looking. But good looking or not Zabini is a slytherin, one of Malfoy's cronies no less.

Thinking that the chaser was sexy or even just the slightest bit attractive was completely unacceptable.

And yet even through all these thoughts Ron couldn't stop himself from staring. Fortunately that only lasted until Zabini made another turn on his broom and caught sight of the red head standing at the side of the Quidditch pitch staring with hazy eyes and flushed cheeks. The Slytherin arched a brow at him and Ron instantly snapped out of it, going one shade deeper when he realized that he'd actually been caught staring and that the other was headed right towards him.

He wanted to run, the urge to turn tail and get as far away from the other as humanly possible was incredibly strong in his veins but Ron kept still. Running would make him look guilty, like he was doing something he knew he wasn't supposed to be doing. Which he wasn't, so Ron kept still, determined to not let the Slytherin intimidate him as he flew down so he was hovering just in front of the redhead, a few feet off the ground.

Zabini said nothing just stared at the red head for a few moments with those dark brown eyes dissecting him, almost like he was trying to read the Gryffindor's mind and Ron did all he could to avoid shifting awkwardly in front of the other.

"Weasley." The slytherin finally said and Ron nodded as he answered, "Zabini."

The other continued to watch him for a few more moments before he spoke again, "What're you doing out here?"

"I was out for a walk."

"Here?"

"It's a free country." Ron answered defensively but Zabini barely did more than tilt his head before he spoke. "So you were out for a walk and you decided to stop and enjoy the show?"

Ron had to fight back against the urge to blush and stutter since he's really been caught out only for the Slytherin to let out a breathy chuckle, "Don't worry about it Weasley, lucky for you, I enjoy being watched."

Don't blush, don't blush, don't blush-

WHY WOULD YOU EVEN WANT TO BLUSH ANYWAY?!

"Although, I'm surprised to see you without your… friends; Granger usually seems to keep you on such a short leash."

Ron bristled at the insinuation, "I have a life of my own, I go wherever I want."

"I'm sure you do." Zabini said with a snort as his broom moved forward a little before moving back. "What about Potter? He's usually lurking around you these days."

"I-why do you care?"

"I don't, I'm just curious."

"It's none of your business."

"Then why were you watching me?" Blaise asked smoothly as his broom made a turn before coming back again with those dark eyes never breaking contact and Ron resisted the urge to squirm.

"Why are you out after curfew?"

"That's somewhat obvious isn't it? Besides I asked you first." Zabini countered easily and Ron turned red as his hands clenched earning a barked laugh from the Slytherin.

"Feeling a little flushed?"

"Oh piss off."

"I was here first." Blaise said with a shrug and Ron hissed in frustration, "If anyone should be pissing off here it's you. Plus you still haven't answered my question. Why are you here and not with Potter? Trouble in paradise?"

Ron's clenched fists tightened and he could feel the nails biting into his skin. What he wouldn't do to wipe that smug look off of the slytherin's face, despite the fact that Zabini hadn't actually done anything to earn it other than get on his nerves.

But it wouldn't do to start a fight now, they weren't even supposed to be out at that time so the redhead made a surprisingly mature decision and turned around to walk away.

Unfortunately for Ron, Blaise on the other hand had other ideas as the dark teen flew around him and came to a stop right in front of him.

"What?!" Ron snapped and Blaise's head gave a tilt.

"I never said you could leave."

"I never asked for your permission."

Blaise laughed, the sound was so warm and bright Ron almost paused from his anger when the slytherin suddenly landed and stepped off his broom to move closer to him. Ron stepped back on insitinct Blaise just moved along with him.

"What're-"

"You know, you don't look half bad when you arent trialing after the golden boy and his little know it all."

Ron glared hard, "And you don't look half bad when you aren't crawling after ferret face."

Instead of getting just as angry as he was Blaise only smirked, "Ferret face. I'll have to remember that one."

The redhead paused, for brief moment caught of guard. "What do you want Zabini?"

"I asked you first."

Ron growled. How is it possible for one human being to be this frustrating? Blaise chuckled.

"What's so bloody funny?"

"You are actually. I'm waiting to see how long it takes you to figure out that you just complimented me."

Ron felt his cheeks flush and spoke before he could stop himself, "You did it first."

"Yes, I did." Blaise said with his smirk growing just a bit more and Ron couldn't help but blink in surprise before the Slytherin continued, "For the record, I couldn't sleep and flying helps me relax."

Ron shifted a bit awkwardly, "Good for you."

"Do you want to try?"

"What?"

"I'm asking you if you want to go for a ride." Zabini said smugly as he held his broom upright and leaned against it. "I don't trust anyone behind the hilt of my broom except for me so, you'd have to ride with me but I'm willing to take you for a ride."

Ron suddenly felt absolutely bewildered, "Why?"

"Why not? I'm bored and you're entertaining enough to at least keep me a bit occupied."

The redhead glared, "Yeah well, I'm not here for your entertainment."

"Oh, loosen up Weasley. It's just one ride, what're you scared?"

"Of you?" Ron scoffed, "Don't make me laugh."

"Well if you're not scared then let's go," Blaise smirked as he held his broom ready and stepped over it.

Ron's first instinct was to say no.

Hell no.

And he would've said hell no, but…

"Exactly where would we go?"

"You'll see." The Slytherin then held out his hand, "C'mon."

Ron stared at the hand stretched out for him to take, looking up at the Slytherin before him before giving a brief glance back towards the castle. The redhead then looked back to the other teen and took a deep breath.

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Fear, fear fear. So much fear.

Its said that animals can smell fear. They can sense an easy target a mile away with very little effort as all, they can sense prey as easily as breathing. Its said that some people could smell fear. The more dangerous the individual the stronger and less restrained they are, the easier it is for them to sense an easy target, the easier it is for them to take advantage of every and any hidden weakness.

Lee hoped for his sake, that this whole idea on smelling fear was nothing more than a myth.

The young wizard sat at the only table in the middle of the room. The scent of mould, sweat and blood practically clung to the grimy walls of the room around him, the grimy walls which were lit up dimly by the soft orange glow of the torches arranged against the walls. He just kept flipping through his notepad with a quill and ink pot placed to his right. He would have just charmed them to take notes the way he usually did whenever he went out to do research on a story but, his wand was taken when he entered the large prison walls.

"You're absolutely safe of course, this is just a safety precaution." The warden had said when he took Lee's wand away and placed it in a safe in his office. Lee had only given a smile and a nod, insisting that he understood and that he didn't mind being locked in a room alone with a notorious Death Eater with absolutely no way to protect himself. There was no reason to have protection anyway.

"We've set up several charms and spells around the prison. He won't be able to touch you let alone harm you in any way. Plus, he'll be restrained as well so there really is nothing to be worried about."

Lee just nodded politely as he was led through the dark prison halls. Silently berating himself for accepting when his editor asked him to go and do a story on Azkaban of all things.

Lee was on his second month on the job. Up until that point he'd only ever been sent to do puff pieces for the radio station. You know; witch weekly's annual pageant, stray owl saves wizard from chocking, local wizard creates award winning pumpkin pasties recipe. The kind of stories that weren't really meant to garner any negative publicity. Believe it or not, Azkaban was meant to be a similar story.

There had been stories going around ever since the Triwizard tournament. The rumours on the return of he-who-must-not-be-named. These rumours were generating a lot of negative attention for the Ministry of Magic and so to put the public's mind at ease, they called for every newspaper and radio station in the wizarding world to do some sort of story on the prison. They were meant to talk about how safe the facility was and how secure, make sure the public was set at ease and they wouldn't constantly be concerned about the hundreds of angry and vengeful Death Eaters just waiting to escape and wreak havoc upon the unsuspecting public. The radio station that Lee worked for was meant to do the same thing, though Lee's boss Abbey wasn't really one for following the rules.

"I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone else that works for me. Write only the truth. If the ministry has nothing to hide, then they have nothing to worry about."

It was to be Lee's first serious story and he was determined to make it count, to make a name for himself and find the truth.

So, he went to Azkaban and took a different approach.

He was supposed to do a story on the prison, on the guards and the security measures around Azkaban.

"Make the public feel safe and secure."

But Lee decided to take a different route and decided to focus his attention on the prisoners instead.

Thanks to the ministry, getting authorisation to get into the prison to conduct the interviews wasn't half as difficult as it should have been. Though it took a tremendous amount of negotiation to get them to let him interview a Death Eater.

"How about this, you let me do an interview with the nicest one you have yes? Whoever's the most well behaved and most cooperative, that's who I'll speak with."

"I don't understand why it needs to be a Death Eater-"

"Because the Death Eaters are the ones everyone's worried about. Just think about what it could mean for Azkaban, all those dangerous individuals, safely secure behind the walls of an impenetrable prison." Lee offered and the man seemed to consider his proposal for another moment and the boy had to fight back hard against the urge to grin, "It's an opportunity for you to really shine, for all the wizarding world to know what a truly fantastic job you're doing, for you and your sacrifice to finally be acknowledged."

Eventually the man agreed.

And now, Lee sits in a chair, in a dimly lit room alone with one of the wizarding world's most dangerous criminals sincerely regretting his decision and cursing his Gryffindor courage for encouraging him to do something so utterly foolish. Because on the other side of the table, sitting chained to a steel chair was Rabastan Lestrange.

Lee had almost had a heart attack when he was ushered into the room and saw the brunette just sitting there staring unblinkingly right at the entrance where he stood. Not that he was all that sure who he was expecting to be on the other side of that door, he just wasn't expecting-

Apparently, Rabastan Lestrange has been an exemplary convict during his time of incarceration… you know, compared to the others. He was always on his best behaviour, barely ever kicking up a fuss or starting any trouble with the guards, unlike most of the other inmates that were incarcerated along with him, including his brother and sister in law. So, when selecting a prisoner to take part in the interview they decided that the younger Lestrange was the safest option to go with and probably the most likely to be at least partially cooperative.

At least as far as Death Eaters went anyway.

So now Lee thinks, trying to collect his thoughts and keep his heart under control as he tried to think of how to proceed. The seconds kept ticking passed, the guards closed the door on them already.

Lee flipped through his notes again subtly taking in a deep breath to calm himself when the man on the other side of the table suddenly spoke.

"Are you going to spend the whole night staring at the parchment or are you actually going to ask me something?"

Lee's head snapped up and he found piercing dark eyes staring back at him, still unblinking, not moving an inch, he didn't even seem to be breathing. It was deeply unsettling.

The boy looked back down at his book, "Why? Do you have other plans for the night?"

Lestrange gave a snort, but otherwise didn't say a word. Lee took one more deep breath and forced himself to look up as he spoke.

"For the record your name is Rabastan Lestrange, correct?"

"Yes."

"And you are a Death Eater?"

"Yes," the man paused, "Are you a muggle born?"

Lee's eyes snapped up to lock onto the man and narrowed down ever so slightly, a flash of defiance lit up inside of him. "Yes, what of it?"

Rabastan said nothing, he only stared back. Lee held back a sigh of frustration as he pushed forward.

"You've been incarcerated for roughly 16 years?"

"Yes."

"Under what charges?"

"Crimes against humanity apparently."

"And what does that entail?"

Rabastan was silent yet again. Lee looked up at him and the man kept staring, those dark eyes seeming to bore right into him before he finally spoke, almost like he was waiting for the boy to look at him before he answered.

"Murder, torture, abductions. Half-bloods, muggles and muggleborns mostly… a few purebloods that dared go against the dark lord." The older man's head gave a slight tilt, "Personally I preferred hunting mudbloods." Lee couldn't stop himself from glaring at the word the man's head tilted to the other side, "Most of them were weak, pathetic but a few of them… some of them were interesting, filled with so much spirit. They make the loveliest prey."

He was being baited, Lee knew this. Which is why he just ignored the man's ramblings, ignored his rising anger and kept pushing on.

"I assume that means that you don't regret any of your crimes?"

This time Rabastan looked away, looking up at the ceiling in an almost contemplative manner, "What is there to regret? Standing by my beliefs, fighting for what I believe is right?"

"Harming innocent people."

"How do you know they were innocent?" the man asked glancing down at Lee from the corner of his eye, "Because they were killed you assume them to be innocent. Because they were harmed you assume them to be victims, though you didn't know any of them."

"Did you?"

The man's head fell back to the side, "No person muggle or otherwise is free from sin. It's naïve to think that anyone would be."

Lee frowned, "And that gives you the right to execute judgement over them?"

Rabastan chuckled dark and low, "No, of course not-"

"Then why-"

"Why not?" The brunette said looking Lee right in the eye as he spoke, "Tell me boy, if given the choice between killing me and letting one of your little muggle friends die which would you choose?"

Lee blinked, for a second caught off guard by the question, "You can't exchange one life for another."

"But if you had to choose, you wouldn't choose to spare me, would you?"

Lee didn't answer him and Rabastan chuckled again, "What makes you so different from me?"

"Those people you hurt were innocent-"

"As far as you know."

"I-…" Lee took a deep breath, wondering why he was even having this argument with a Death Eater, he really shouldn't be so surprised. The boy brushed back a dreadlock behind his ear, he looked down at his notepad as he made a few notes and carried on to the next question. "According to reports, Death Eaters take the dark mark at an early age. How old were you when you took the dark mark?"

"Fourteen."

Lee couldn't help but pause, "Fourteen?"

"You seem surprised."

"The rumours surrounding Death Eater practices claimed-"

"You take the mark when you're sixteen?" Rabastan scoffed, "So naïve. You probably think all death eaters are Slytherin as well."

Lee looked up, "Aren't they."

Rabastan smirked, leaning forward ever so slightly. "Would there be so many of us if we were?"

"How many are there?"

And then Rabastan leaned back in his seat, "I'm curious, how did you discover your magic?"

"Excuse me?" Lee asked, a little bewildered at the sudden change in topic. The man just kept his eyes locked on the boy.

"Did you suddenly receive a letter from Hogwarts or did your magic present itself in some way."

"I don't really see how that's any of your business."

"My life isn't any of your business either and yet here we are. If you want to continue this interview, then I'll need to get some information of my own. Tit for tat."

Lee's jaw clenched, his hand tightened around the quill between his fingers before he spoke, "Accidental magic, I levitated some of my toys in my room when I was ten."

"Did your parents see?"

"Yes."

"And how did they react?"

Lee looked down at his notepad, resisting the urge to tense when the memory suddenly came back to him, "They're muggles, they reacted the way any human being would when faced with something seemingly impossible."

"They feared you." Rabastan started to smirk, "Wretched things treated you like a freak, an abomination-"

"My parents love me, alright." Lee snapped back knowing that he was sounding defensive but not caring either way, "Once they understood what was happening, they made sure I had all the help and support I needed."

"Would you like to know how my parents reacted to my accidental magic?" Rabastan asked and Lee let out a deep breath, "Fine."

"I set fire to my bed and they celebrated." Rabastan said sounding almost proud, "Nine years old, I set fire to our house and I was ushered in as a true Lestrange."

"What if you never did any magic? What if you were born a squib?" Lee asked with an arched brow and the man's eyes narrowed down ever so slightly, "Would they have celebrated then? My parents may have feared me at one time, but they never abandoned me and they never would have." Lee bit out as he looked down at his notepad, "Maybe you should think harder about who the wretched ones are-"

Suddenly a loud clank rang against the walls. Rabastan's face was mere inches away from his own, glaring with rage, the only thing keeping him from moving closer were the shackles wrapped tightly around his wrists binding him to the chair. Lee couldn't help but gasp before the man hissed out.

"Watch your tongue. Don't think that just because I'm being civil with you that I've suddenly forgotten your place or mine. You would do well to mind your tongue-"

"And you'd do well to get out of my face." Lee said resisting the urge to swallow hard and instead meet the man's gaze as he glared back, "I know my place, get back in yours." Lee said eyes flicking to the man's seat. The older man didn't look away, he didn't move. Just continued to glare and the teen steeled his nerves together.

"I said-"

"Lee Jordan is it?" Rabastan asked and Lee frowned in suspicion but didn't say a word as the man spoke, inching his head and tilting it so he spoke against the boy's cheek and Lee could just barely feel the man's breath against his cheek, smell the sweat and grime off his skin. "Spirited mudbloods have always been my favourite. They can't keep me here forever. I'll have you soon enough."

A shiver ran down Lee's spine as the man slowly sank back into his seat hands resting loosely on the arm rests while Lee stared back at him before swallowing hard.

"You don't scare me."

Rabastan smirked, "Any more questions?"

Lee sat up a bit more in his seat, "For some time now there has been news on escalated activity among Death Eaters suggesting that your… Dark Lord may still be alive. Has he-who-must-not-be-named returned?"

Rabastan's smirk grew, "How badly do you want to know?"

Lee frowned when the door to the room suddenly opened and the guards stepped back into the room.

"Time's up." One of the men said while two others stepped over to stand by Rabastan's sides "The warden said you can come back tomorrow to continue."

Lee blinked up at the man beside him, "Right." The teen quickly collected his things and got up from his seat when Rabastan spoke, this time with his head down cast.

"Goodbye, Mr Jordan."

"Lord Lestrange." Lee said turning to leave the room, resisting the urge to stop and turn back when the man started to laugh instead following the guard out the room and down the winding hall. He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling relief wash over him as he brushed a dread lock back.

"I know it doesn't seem like it." The man walking ahead of him suddenly said and Lee's head snapped up to look at him, "But he really is the most… pleasant Death Eater among them."

"Really?"

"Compared to the likes of his brother, this one's practically a saint."

Lee sighed, "Somehow I believe you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The boy was dragged into the large looming building, clothes torn and bloodied as he repeatedly kicked and punched at the figures that held him, whining and sobbing pathetically. His face was flushed and tears streamed down his cheeks, snot leaked from his nose but he barely seemed to notice as he screamed for the men that held him to let him go. To take him back home.

They didn't listen.

Instead he was dragged down a hallway, suffering the indignant humiliation as hundreds of students dressed in grey uniforms watched him go by. No one tried to help him, no one even looked like they were willing to try. Hell, some of them laughed and giggled at him. Down two flights of stairs, down the hall to one that was more vacant and into a room at the end of the long dark passageway.

The raven hit the ground hard as he was tossed onto the stone floors. He didn't even bother acknowledging the pain as he got up and tried to follow the cloaked men that had dragged him in there to begin with, but the door quickly shut behind them and the boy was left to scream and shout and bang his hands against the door.

"Let me out! Let me go you freaks! I shouldn't be here! I don't belong here-"

"Oh, I beg to differ." A dark gruff voice said, and the boy froze as he immediately stilled his panicked movements. He turned to face the voice only for him to be levitated up into the air before he was dropped, and he hit the ground even harder than he had before. The raven groaned in pain, whimpering as he wondered why he was being punished so harshly. Wondering what he'd done to deserve all this when the voice spoke again, this time much closer and he looked up to find a pair of heavy black boots right in front of his face. "Are you done making a fuss?"

Looking up he saw a tall man with dark hair but ice-cold eyes. The teen froze not saying a word as the man went down to a crouch to lock his gaze with that of the boys and his lips twitched up into something dark and cruel.

"Good. You're going to need to learn to behave if you're going to survive here." The man said as his head gave a tilt before he reached out and aimed a long pointy stick right between the teen's eyes.

The raven's eyes went wide when he realised what it was.

The man's smirk grew, "Dudley Dursley. Welcome to Durmstrang."

 **A/N:**

 **Please review**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: To be honest I hadn't really intended on updating this today since I'm aware that my other stories need some serious attention. But I started just writing a little on this and then I ended up finishing the chapter, so I figured I might as well post while I have the time.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate them.**

 **Usual apologies**

 **Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

Severus walked down the vacant hallways. It was late maybe ten o'clock, definitely passed curfew so the potions master decided to start his rounds early so he could get back to the dungeons and get started on marking those third-year essays he didn't get around to the day before.

There are about a million other things he'd rather be doing to be honest, but he unfortunately didn't have the luxury of getting any time to himself. He hasn't had much time for anything as of late. If it wasn't his classes, it was Albus and when it wasn't Albus it was the Dark Lord and then when he wasn't dealing with all of that; he was constantly trying to keep the Potter brat alive since he clearly has no self-preservation skills whatsoever. And then on top off everything else Albus expects him to start tutoring the brat in Occlumency soon. Severus has been trying to put it off for as long as possible, but he knows the old coot plans on informing the brat on the newest addition to his lesson plans and then he won't be able to avoid it any longer.

Merlin, it's all such a headache.

Moments like these are a godsend. Moments where he can just wander the halls alone to think and just be in his own thoughts, without constantly needing to put up walls to keep out Albus and keep out he-who-must-not-be-named and anyone else that might be a threat.

If he'd known all those years ago that this is what it would all lead to, then he never would have gone to Albus for help in the first place. He never would have taken the mark. He never would have let Lucius seduce him into desiring everything that the Dark Lord offered.

He never would have fallen in love the way he did.

That's really where his problems started. He fell in love and then he got his heart broken. That broken heart festered and oozed shame and regret into his soul. It made him feel angry and betrayed. So angry and betrayed that he let Lucius seduce him into desiring everything that the Dark Lord offered. Which led to him taking the mark, which led to him making all those mistakes that ended with him going to Albus for help. Now he's stuck in this inescapable tug of war between two masters, both of whom took advantage and used him in whichever way they saw fit and Severus had no choice but to stay bound between them. He was bound to Voldemort because of the mark and he's bound to Albus because of the he vow he made to protect Lily and James' son. The same brat who insisted on making everything infinitely more difficult than it all needed to be.

Really, sixteen years and he's still being tormented by a Potter. It might not have been so bad if the brat wasn't a spitting image of his bastard father and if he didn't have Lily's eyes. Severus really could have done without having a living, breathing reminder of all his life's mistakes constantly in his presence.

But fate has never been kind to him, so he probably shouldn't be surprised things are turning out this way.

Truthfully, he doesn't expect to survive any of this much longer. He's always waiting. Waiting for the Dark Lord to discover his deception and finally end his life. Waiting for Albus to finally send him on a mission that would _end his life_. Waiting for the day when the Potter brat did something more idiotic than ever and ended up getting himself killed, which would simultaneously end his life since he made a vow to keep him alive.

He's always waiting and, in some ways, he's almost praying for death to come. He's just so tired of everything. He was neglected and abused as a child, despite his mother's best efforts to protect and provide for him. He was bullied and tormented during his days in school, had his heart shattered in the cruellest way. Watched the only people he truly cared about die and now he finds himself the pawn in a tug of war between forces of the light and dark.

Severus is tired.

But you know what they say, there's no rest for the wicked.

So, he'll get up every morning and do it all over and over again. What other choice does he have? He doesn't really have anything else to live for, no life he could even attempt to build. What would be the point? His lifestyle isn't really accommodating toward even attempting to live a normal life. There's no point in building a career, no point in even attempting to build relationships of any kind. He may not live long enough to see any of the fruits of his labour and he certainly didn't have an heir that he needed to provide for. Getting involved with anyone personally let alone romantically would be too dangerous, he doesn't want to involve anyone else in the mess that is his existence. He's not wasting another life.

All he has now are his missions as a spy, his career at Hogwarts… and the Potter brat.

How utterly depressing

Severus let out a sigh at the thought, looking up through the windows as he passed them to look up at the sky outside.

He kept walking absorbed on his thoughts. So, absorbed in fact that he almost didn't noticed the raven-haired teen that came rushing towards him. But of course, that didn't last long.

Severus made sure his features were schooled into cool indifference as the teen approached and was prepared to reprimand whichever idiotic simpleton thought they could simply walk passed him without repercussions after curfew.

The moment the potions master realised that it was the Potter brat he almost let out a sigh of frustration, because of course it's the Potter brat. Severus stopped right where he was and spoke causing the teen approaching him to stop in his tracks.

"Mr Potter, care to explain what you're doing outside of your dorm room this late after curfew?"

The brat didn't say anything for a moment, he only glanced up at his professor for a brief moment before looking away, "I'm sorry sir, I didn't realise it was so late."

"Of course, because it is _so difficult_ upholding a simple rule that you've known for the past six years." Severus drawled out, "Perhaps your memory will improve once I deduct twenty points from Gryffindor."

Potter's jaw clenched, he didn't say a word. Severus arched a brow at the boy, "You have yet to answer my question as to exactly why you're out at this time Mr Potter."

Harry's hands clenched into fists as the potions master continued, "Then again I suppose it doesn't matter what your reasons for disobeying school rules are. The infamous Harry Potter clearly has no reason to bow down to societal conventions of discipline like the rest of us mere mortals."

Harry looked up at him and glared, Severus almost gave a snort, "Still no answer, well then perhaps detention tomorrow night will help refresh your memory. Get to your room."

The raven-haired teen was seething, Severus' head gave a tilt.

"I won't repeat myself."

Harry turned around and stormed down the hallway, Severus allowed himself a snort of amusement as he went.

Meanwhile on the other side of the castle a young witch slipped unnoticed through the halls. Until she came to the gargoyle and stopped.

"Caramel toffee."

The stone sculpture moved aside and she quickly slipped in, taking care to make sure there wasn't anyone near to see her. She went down the stairs until she got to the large cluttered room and saw the headmaster sitting behind the desk, tinkering with one of the many magical objects constantly moving about his desk when the man caught sight of her and gave her a brief smile.

"Ms Granger, how lovely to see you." Albus said setting the gold trinket aside as he turned in his seat to face her, before reaching for a bowl of candies near the edge of the desk, "Lemon drop?"

"No thank you sir." Hermione said sitting in one of the seats in front of the desk and the headmaster frowned, "Well then how can I help you? It's a bit late for a visit isn't it? Past curfew."

"I know that sir but this couldn't wait till morning." The bushy haired witch let out a heavy sigh as her hands wrung together nervously before she spoke, "I'm sure you'll be informed of this soon but, in the off chance that you aren't I felt the need to tell you as soon as possible. It's about Ron."

"What about him?"

Hermione sighed again, "There's a problem."

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Madame Pomfrey let him leave a few hours later, after she explained everything that that he could expect to experience in the next nine months before giving him a book on pregnancy just so he could refresh himself if necessary. The boy looked mildly horrified during her explanations so she figured that he might need some time to just sort through it all himself. It was late by the time she deemed him ready to leave so he wasn't forced to face the headmaster that night, the medi-witch made it clear that she wanted him to get some rest. But she also made it clear that he should expect an audience with the headmaster the next day, one where his parents would most likely be in attendance as well seeing as how he's a minor and all.

Ron was already feeling sufficiently depressed when he realised that he'd be dealing with his parents along with the headmaster the next day, but then he felt like crawling into a hole and dying when she informed him of the fact that he'd need to go see professor Snape the next morning as well.

"The potions I have here are good for pregnancies. They help with nausea and pain but, we haven't had any pregnant students at Hogwarts in quite some time. I don't really have anything specifically geared towards pregnancy." The woman explained, "But I'm sure I don't need to tell you that professor Snape is quite talented in the art of potion making, better at it than professor Slughorn. There's a potion he developed some time ago that deals specifically with pregnancy, it takes care of most of the symptoms without affecting the foetus or the hosts core. Unfortunately, from what I understand the ingredients for this potion… it takes a very skilled hand to handle the ingredients in such a way that they create the right potion and while professor Snape is very capable of brewing it, the amount of effort it takes…" Pomfrey sighed as she started writing on a piece of parchment, "He won't agree to brewing it without knowing who it's going to. You'll have to take this and give it to him yourself. He'll instruct you on how it's to be taken. He'll also be able to make you a few prenatal supplements to help with the baby's development."

Snape. Why did it have to be Snape?! Ron wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

Honestly the night before, he'd planned on not going to Snape and just putting up with the symptoms himself. It's just nausea and a little pain. I mean, how hard could it be? And he's been fine so far, up till the point that he fell of his broom that is. Ron figured that it would be fine and it was fine.

Until the next morning.

It's almost like the baby knew exactly what he planned on doing and decided to punish him for his stubbornness. He was up at six in the morning, emptying his stomach repeatedly while the most excruciating migraine hit him right in the back of his head.

He had no choice but to go see Snape. Especially after Neville found him on the floor in the bathroom. Neville liked to get up early to the Greenhouse to check on a few of the plants that he'd been helping professor Sprout with. By then the entire situation had finally sunk in and settled.

He's a sixteen-year-old boy, in school and pregnant with the child of one of his enemies. He's pregnant with the child of a Slytherin, a pregnancy he couldn't get rid of without getting himself killed in the process. When he got to the dorm room the night before, his best friend wouldn't speak to him and Hermione had completely disappeared. His parents would be finding out about his pregnancy very soon if they haven't already and madame Pomfrey had made it very clear that he wouldn't be able to play quidditch in his condition. And then to top it all off, the morning sickness was killing him.

By the time that Neville found him, Ron was having a full-blown panic attack.

It took the raven-haired boy sometime before he could get Ron calm enough to just talk. Neville was outside of his element, Ron could tell, but he tried so extraordinarily hard to help his friend that Ron put in the effort to calm down as well. He didn't want to tell Neville about his situation, Ron honestly just wanted to shut the whole mess away and take it with him to his grave. But he couldn't. He needed to talk to someone before he lost his mind. But Harry wouldn't talk to him and Hermione's reaction the night before wasn't encouraging. Madame Pomfrey just didn't seem like she really got it and Ron wanted to avoid Dumbledore's office for as long as humanly possible.

Neville was looking at him in concern, looking like he was fighting against a panic attack of his own since his friend was clearly freaking out and he didn't know what to do. Ron let his walls come down completely and told the raven everything.

And I do mean _everything_.

"Oh." That's about all Neville could manage.

They were both sitting on the floor by then, Ron had stopped freaking out for the most part but he still felt upset. Neville was just staring at him and Ron's brain was filling with all kinds of possible reasons as to why. Was he shocked? Confused? Disgusted? Did he think Ron was an idiot for getting himself in the situation that he's in? Was he going to tell anyone? What would happen if the school found out? Would they label him a freak for being a boy and still getting pregnant? A slut for sleeping with a guy he'd barely spoken to? A guy that was supposedly one of his greatest enemies? What if Blaise denied everything and called him a liar?

Ron was starting to freak out again

His parents are going to know. Molly's going to find out and she's going to be furious. His brother's will find out. He'll be disowned, Harry and Hermione will never speak to him again. He'll never be able to look any of his housemates in the eye again. What if he's forced to leave school? He'll have to take care of a child with nowhere to go and no one to help him.

Why did he have to be such an idiot? Why couldn't he have just stayed in the fucking bed-

Ron's eyes went wide when Neville suddenly hugged him, wrapping his arms around the redhead's form to pull him close. Ron blinked once and then twice and the tears started to run down his face but he barely noticed.

Neville took a deep breath, "It'll be alright. You… We'll think of something."

Ron slowly lifted his arms to wrap around his friend and turned his head so it was buried in Neville's neck, sniffing briefly as his arms tightened.

"Thanks, mate."

"You're welcome, although I have to say. I never thought Zabini was your type." Neville started with a shrug, Ron gave a snort. "Not that… I mean, he's bloody handsome its just, I thought you and Hermione-"

Ron sighed, "I don't know… I don't know why I did it he was just." The red head pulled back and Neville's head gave a tilt as Ron continued, "Right then, it just felt so right and he's, he just didn't seem like the typical Slytherin bastard, you know? I mean he was still an arrogant prat but for a moment I almost forgot about all _this_." Ron said as he gestured around himself. "And it felt good just not thinking about it."

Neville gave a nod, "I think I understand."

"Believe me if I knew this would happen I wouldn't have gone near him."

"And you wouldn't have a baby."

"Exactly."

"It's a little exciting though right? You always said you wanted children."

"It's terrifying. It's too soon for all this. Nev' I don't know what to do."

"Its strange that you didn't know you were a carrier though. Shouldn't they have been able to pick up on that?" Neville started with a frown and Ron just shook his head as he dragged a hand through his hair.

"I don't know, does it even matter? I'm… pregnant. Knowing now doesn't mean anything."

Neville nodded, "When are you going to tell Zabini?"

"I'm not going to tell him."

"Ron-"

"How would I even-No no one knows about this."

"You can't keep it a secret forever though. What if you start showing? Your parents are going to want to know too."

Ron shut his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, lifting a hand to his throbbing head. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if his mother just up and confronted the Slytherin about it.

"It's his baby too. Zabini has the right to at least know."

"I want to die."

"No you don't, l-like I said. We'll think of something." Neville took a deep breath, Ron opened his eyes-

"This isn't your problem Neville."

"But you are my friend. I won't abandon you and as for Harry-" Ron looked away and Neville paused, "I don't understand why he's so upset but he'll come around."

"I hope so." Ron finally noticed the tears and wiped them off with the back of his hand as he flushed just a bit, "it isn't even here yet and I'm already blubbering pathetically."

"You're pregnant mate, I think blubbering is kind of mandatory at this point." Neville said as he got up off the floor and Ron made to stand as well only to falter when his stomach gave a turn. Neville reached out a hand to help him up.

"Are you alright?"

"No." Ron said shortly as he got up on his feet, "If I had any doubts about carrying a Slytherin baby they're gone now. Not even born yet and she's already tormenting me."

Neville gave a snort before looking up at the redhead with a quirk of his lips, "She?"

Ron flushed and looked away, "I just, last night I was thinking, I'd like to have a girl. But there are bigger things to worry about right now."

Neville smiled as he stepped back, "We should get you to Snape. The sooner you get that potion the better."

Ron groaned, "I want to die."

" _No, you don't_. C'mon let's go get dressed."

It was about thirty minutes later when they got to the dungeons, they managed to get dressed and leave the dorm rooms before anyone else woke. Ron wanted to tell Harry. He wanted to talk to his best friend so badly, but after what happened the night before he decided that maybe they both need a bit of time to process this.

Ron got sick again, although he wasn't sure if it was because of the baby or if he was getting sick at the prospect of telling Snape that he was pregnant.

Neville was right there with him, he said it was to keep him company but Ron was sure the raven was just trying to make sure he didn't chicken out or end up passed out on the way to the professor. When they got to the potion's classroom, Ron had expected to find it empty. He was hoping to find it empty.

But fate isn't on his side these days.

Neville knocked on the door and opened it.

"Professor?"

They both stepped inside and found the potions master at the head of the class, standing over a cauldron as he stirred a potion with what looked like a crystal stirrer. It smelled sweet and earthy. Ron felt the pain in his head almost ease and his stomach settle just a bit. The redhead shut his eyes to take in the smell only for a voice to break him from his trance.

"Though you knocked, I don't quite recall giving any permission to enter." The older man drawled out and resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. They haven't even said a word yet and the snarky bastard is already making it all so difficult.

Neville glanced over to his friend and took a hold of his arm as he stepped inside.

"I-uhm…We're sorry to disturb you sir but-but we needed to speak with you about something."

"I can only imagine what that might be." Snape said before glancing up at the teens and looked like he was resisting the urge to roll his eyes, "Well? Get on with it. As you can see, I'm quite busy."

Ron glared hard only for Neville to nudge his arm and nod to the older man. The redhead sighed and Snape looked up at the sound, frowning at the teen. He stepped forward, searching through the pockets in his robe to find the parchment madame Pomfrey gave him the night before and handed it to the potion's professor.

Snape arched a brow at him in question but took the note, setting the crystal stirrer aside as he paused to open the note and read it. The potions professor was silent for a moment before he carefully folded the note and set it down beside the cauldron. He looked up at the redhead.

"I see. Madame Pomfrey already informed me that a student in your, condition would be coming to see me, thought she never told me who it was." And then his gaze moved over to Neville, "I assume that since he decided to accompany you this early in the morning that Mr Longbottom is the other party involved in your predicament?"

"No!" Both teens said simultaneously and Snape arched a brow. Ron started to flush.

"No, he's not. He just… came as a friend."

Snape turned back to the potion and picked up the stirrer and started stirring again. "In that case, Mr Longbottom, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This is a discussion I have to have with Mr Weasley alone."

Ron's eyes went wide, "But-"

"I don't like repeating myself."

Neville gave Ron a sheepish smile as he turned to leave the room, "I'll wait outside."

The door shut and Ron sighed for the millionth time that day.

"Tell me Mr Weasley, isn't it a bit early to start infesting the world with your very own litter?"

"Of course." Ron glared hard and turned to leave, "I should've known you'd just use this as an opportunity to mock me-"

"I'm asking you a genuine question." Snape said glancing at the teen but didn't stop stirring, "I want to be sure you understand exactly how difficult this is going to be. You're much too young to be having a child when you're only a child yourself."

Ron paused taking a deep breath, grateful for the relief provided by the potion brewing in the room.

"I know."

"Do you? I'm sure madame Pomfrey has informed you of the fact that you won't be able to have an abortion."

"She has."

"What do you plan to do once the child is born?"

Ron looked away, "I'm not sure."

"The best solution would be for you to give it up for adoption."

"I can't."

"Why not? If you're worried about your mother, I'll ask you to remember that she shouldn't be the one to be burdened to raise this child. It's your responsibility but certainly not a responsibility to take if you're not sure if you could."

"It's not that-"

"Then what is it?"

"I just… I'm not sure if I want to."

Snape glanced over to the redhead and saw him place a hand over his stomach, "There's still some time before you have to make a final decision. But I'm going to have to ask you to remember what's at stake. A child isn't a toy. If you plan on keeping it, you need to be completely devoted to your decision. Do you understand?"

Ron nodded his head, still clutching his stomach, "Yes sir."

Severus gave a nod of his own before as he stirred the potion one more time, "Sit down."

Ron turned and sat down at one of the desks just as the man continued, "If Longbottom isn't the father of your child then I assume Mr Potter is the one that got you in this position."

Ron's eyes went wide, "No! Harry… He's my best friend, we would never."

Snape paused to look at him before reaching out to take a large crystal flask he had set near by and took a crystal ladle to pour the potion he was brewing.

"Really, then I could only imagine who it could be. Care to enlighten me?"

"I'd rather not."

"It would help-"

"For the last time, I don't need his help! Why won't anyone listen to me?" the redhead suddenly snapped and Snape looked over to the teen.

"I don't appreciate being interrupted Mr Weasley. As I was saying, the identity of the father would help with the prenatal potions I'm making for you. Male carrier pregnancies can be a bit touch and go in the first trimester. His medical history and some of his DNA would help create potions specifically suited to the baby."

Ron resisted the urge to sink down in his seat, "I… I can't."

"If you insist on keeping the identity of the father a secret I certainly can't force you to reveal it, however I think it's necessary that you know I make better potions when I have more information. If you really plan on keeping this child then wouldn't it be best to put their needs before your pride?"

He was being lectured. Ron wanted to growl in annoyance and he probably would have if Snape wasn't essentially right, like he always is.

"You wouldn't believe me anyway."

"I think you should let me decide what I'll believe."

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone. Not even him."

Snape shrugged, "I have no reason to tell anyone but if it will put your mind at ease then fine, I give you my word."

Ron sighed, looking down at the desk in front of him with his hands clenched before he blurted out.

"Blaise Zabini."

A loud shatter rang through the air and Ron looked up to see that the stirrer Snape had been using was on the floor in broken pieces. The potions master was staring at him in shock and Ron's cheeks flushed as he spoke.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me."

Snape just stared before shutting his eyes as he placed a hand on his forehead, "As much as I'd love to believe that you were trying to deceive me Mr Weasley, I can't for the life of me fathom why you'd lie about something like this."

"So… you do believe me?"

"When did this happen?"

Ron raked a hand through his hair, "Two weeks ago, after curfew. I didn't… It just happened-"

Snape raised his hand to silence him as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration with the other, "And he doesn't know?"

"No."

"You have to tell him."

"But sir-"

"I've known the Zabini's for twenty years. If you have this child and Lady Zabini isn't informed it won't end well for anyone involved. Tell him." Snape said as he took the flask he'd filled and closed it with a stopper before casting a cooling charm on it. "When did Poppy say she'd be informing the headmaster of this?"

"She said to expect him to speak with my parents today."

"I'll have to speak with Albus to call Lady Zabini as well." Snape then set the flask in front of the teen along with three others holding a velvet bag.

"You take this potion twice a day before meals and then you take these once a day before bed. Come back for a refill once they're empty." The potions master explained as he put each potion into the bag and pulled it shut with its drawstring and then he let out a sigh, "And for Merlin's sake, tell Zabini before his mother rains hell down on this school."

Ron looked away, "I can't."

"You have to." Snape hissed in frustration before letting out another sigh as he looked down at the teen. "I know this must be unbelievably difficult for you, but he'll find out eventually, at least this way he'll find out from you."

Ron didn't say anything and Snape reached out to lift the teen's chin to look up before releasing him, "Carrier pregnancies are incredibly rare, considered to be precious in our world. Even if your parents become upset they will accept it eventually. And to be frank, you could have done much worse than Blaise Zabini."

Ron couldn't help but give a snort as the man continued, "Do you know why carrier pregnancies are so rare?"

"No, not really."

"Even if you are a carrier that doesn't guarantee your chances of carrying a child. It requires a deep connection between both parties involved, a very particular kind of compatibility. I'm not sure what happened that night and rest assured I have no intention of asking you what happened, but whatever happened, whatever emotions were shared between you two manifested themselves into this child. Its something special and nothing you should be ashamed of. I know you don't have much of an opinion of Slytherins and you fear how Blaise will react to the news but… tell him, I think he might just surprise you. Do you understand?"

Ron just stared back at the potion's professor, feeling like he's seeing him for the first time and he could almost feel the tears stinging his eyes. Only to jump when he felt a hand on his face as Snape brushed a tear away.

"Hormones, you'll get used to it. The potions should help you get settled."

"I-" Ron swallowed hard, "Thank you sir."

Snape stood up straight and pulled back, "You're welcome Mr Weasley. Now it's time you left, we both have a long day ahead of us."

The redhead took a deep breath as he picked up the potions and got up to leave, "Yes, professor. Thank you again-"

"Spare me the sentimentalities Mr Weasley." The man said waving him off and Ron couldn't even find it in him to get upset. "Out."

"Yes sir."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He thought about it all night. How to handle the interview the next day. That afternoon it went about as well as he thought it would, it went better than he suspected and he managed to leave Azkaban unscathed with a minimal amount of insults directed towards him. It actually went quite well all things considered. But today he wanted to make things different. Lee wanted to make it clear to the Death Eater that he wasn't afraid and he wouldn't allow himself to be intimidated. He also needed to get Rabastan's defences low enough that he could get some real answers out of the older man with a minimal amount of mind games.

Now he stands in the door way of the same room that they led him to the day before. Rabastan sat staring right at him like he did the day before. Lee took in a deep breath, his hand clenched around the notepad in his hands before he spoke.

"Let him go."

The guards beside him frowned until the one on his left spoke. "What?"

"Take off his restraints."

Even Rabastan started to frown as his eyes narrowed down at the younger man in suspicion. The guard cleared his throat.

"Mr Jordan, I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"It's fine."

"But-"

"You guys are right here in case you need me, right? And besides, he can't touch me anyway. The chains are unnecessary. Take them off."

"I-"

"If the warden has an issue with it then I'll speak with him myself." Lee stepped inside, taking in a silent breath as he set his things down on the table, "Take them off."

The guard hesitated until he eventually stepped forward with another. They went to Rabastan's sides and started taking off the chains and shackles.

Lee sat down, flipping through his notes and set out his ink pot and quill. He ignored the sounds of the chains clinking softly and that unyielding stare he could feel burning into his head until the guards left the room.

"If you need anything-"

"I'll be sure to tell you."

The guard hesitated again before he shut the door.

Lee looked up at the Death Eater and found him staring with his eyes still narrowed in suspicion and he cleared his throat.

"Lord Lestrange. Are you ready to continue with the interview?"

The man leaned back in his seat, "Yes."

So far so good.

Lee had half expected the man to try and lunge out to attack him at this point, but so far, he hadn't even lifted his arms from the arm rests on his seat.

"When was the first time you went on a mission as a Death Eater?"

"When?"

"How old were you?"

Rabastan's head gave a tilt, "Fourteen."

Lee's eyes went wide, "Four-"

"The same year I took the mark, yes."

Lee swallowed hard as he looked away, "And what did that mission entail?"

Rabastan gave a humourless snort and looked off to the side, Lee looked up and found the man with an indefinable look on his face as he spoke, "Lestrange-"

"Tell me, the first time you did magic in front of your parents, how did they react?"

Lee frowned at the sudden change of subject, "I already told you-"

"I meant after you started at Hogwarts, the first time you truly did magic."

"Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't."

"Then why-"

"Tit for tat." Rabastan said bringing his gaze back to the boy, "Remember?"

Lee shrugged, "They were happy."

"Happy?"

"They were proud of the progress I made, but mostly they were happy that I was happy…" Lee took in a deep breath, "You haven't answered my question-"

"Does anyone else in your family know that you're a wizard or are they keeping it a secret?"

"I'm a muggleborn, remember? They aren't allowed to know."

Rabastan didn't say anything to that, he suddenly just got up from his seat and started walking around the room. Lee tensed at the sudden movement but tried to take deep breaths to calm down, he tried to remind himself that Rabastan couldn't touch him. He's perfectly safe.

He won't let the older man intimidate him.

The boy resisted the urge to track the man as he moved and instead looked down at his notepad to ask his question again. "What did your first mission as a Death Eater entail?"

He heard the man speak somewhere to the side, "Punishment of a threat to the Dark Lord's cause."

"Punishment?" Lee asked as he finally looked up and found Rabastan near the wall on the left.

"I suppose you'd refer to it as torture."

Lee swallowed hard, "Did you know the victim's name?"

"Name." Rabastan gave a scoff, "We both know it doesn't matter who it actually was. If you don't have an idea of who it could have been then they clearly don't matter."

"I-"

"What matters is what I did to them. That's what you really want to know isn't it?" the dark wizard walked till he was in front of him again.

Lee tried to keep calm, "We aren't all turned on by violent depravity."

"How do you know it as violent and depraved?"

"According to your records, you're prone to violent acts."

Rabastan chuckled, "But you want to know what happened, don't you?"

Lee looked up, arched a brow at the older man and Rabastan smirked as he walked around the room. "Who was it?"

"It was a wizard."

Of course he won't give a name.

"What was he being punished for?"

"Tracheary. He tried to betray the Dark Lord. Rodolphus and I were sent to execute his punishment."

Lee took a deep breath, "What did you do?"

"The same thing I did to most of them. It's almost customary to cast a cruciatus first. It sends a shock through the body's nervous system. Makes them more susceptible to suggestion. Confringo to burn the skin. Spells that create cuts deep enough to hurt but not actually kill, it's important to make sure you don't hit any major arteries so they don't lose consciousness too quickly. Body binds go a long way in keeping them still, all that squirming gets annoying after a while, makes careful aim difficult." Rabastan disappeared behind him. Lee had to resist the urge to look back. "They all got the same treatment, except the mudbloods of course."

"And what did you do to the muggleborns?"

The man suddenly moved in behind him, placing one hand on either side of the younger man on the table as he leaned over him. Lee jumped and tensed tremendously when he felt Rabastan's breaths against his cheek. He could smell sweat, blood and grime just like the day before.

' _Don't let him intimidate you'_

"You mean, what would I do to you?" the older man said tilting his head so he was looking down at the boy's profile, Lee shivered when he felt the phantom touch of a hand glide against his cheek. Ten seconds of absolute silence somehow felt like an eternity before the man finally spoke. "For a mudblood you aren't entirely repulsive. So pretty, how lovely you'd look with a few marks on your skin."

Lee felt a shiver run down his spine and had to keep his breathing steady, "And how would you do that?"

Rabastan chuckled, deep and slow as he pulled back and walked around the table to sit in his chair, Lee took the moment to breathe deep and collect his thoughts when the older man suddenly spoke.

"I'd hate to ruin the surprise."

It was a clear threat Lee tried to pretend like it didn't affect him, carefully keeping still. Then he looked at the older man with the slightest frown on his lips when a thought suddenly came to mind.

"Cuts, burns and bruises. You made sure to leave scars on all your victims?"

"Yes."

" _All of them?"_

Rabastan smirked, "How else are they supposed to remember our time together?"

Lee's head gave a tilt, "Then who attacked Alice and Frank Longbottom?"

Suddenly something in Rabastan's eyes changed though he didn't make a single move as the boy continued, "According to medical records, the only spell used against the Longbottoms was the Cruciatus curse. It was cast repeatedly until they went insane."

"And?" the man asked in a flat tone and Lee continued

"From the way you talk, you sound possessive, passionate with your violence." Lee said leaning forward a bit to lock his gaze on the older man, "You like marking your property, having your actions visible for all to see. As an unforgivable Cruciatus curse causes unbelievable pain but it doesn't leave marks. No scars, no blood, no bruising, no burns. My point is that it seems a bit… clean for your apparent tastes."

Rabastan arched a brow, stared unblinkingly at the boy as he spoke, "Don't tell me you think I'm innocent? Going soft, little mudblood?"

He was being baited again but he wouldn't let himself be distracted, "I have a name and I never said you were innocent. But they never got any individual statements regarding the events of that night. Your sister in-law practically bragged about it. She kicked up such a fuss during the hearings that you were prosecuted without much investigation."

Rabastan gave a snort, but there was no amusement behind it, no emotion whatsoever. He just stared at the boy and Lee held that dark gaze.

"Insanity by cruciatus seems a bit, clinical for you. I doubt you'd ever actively try to drive anyone insane."

"Is that so?"

"You like playing mind games I can tell, but what's the point of mind games with someone that can't play with you? If you had tortured them that night, you wouldn't have stopped with the cruciatus curse, you would've killed them rather than let them live and even if they did survive to go insane you'd make sure to leave your mark so they _never forgot you_. A Crucio's too clean, too clinical. Like you, the records say that Rodolphus has a similarly violent track record, known to kill his victims rather than leave them to live for any reason. Bartimaeus Crouch Junior insisted on his innocence even after he was sentenced but he was ignored. Witness statements claim Bellatrix has always been unstable, spreading insanity seems to fit for her perfectly. But everyone else… it doesn't seem to make much sense to let them live even if they were insane. Perhaps you'd like to clear this up for me."

"If you read the records then you already know what happened that night."

"The records claim that you seemed to be nervous during the trial. Neither you nor your brother said a word. But now…" Lee said clearly not looking away for a second, "You seem to enjoy gloating about the details of your depravities, so why not back then? Wouldn't you have proven your loyalty and devotion the same way that Bellatrix did? Why gloat about your crimes to a mudblood years after it matters about everything but the crime you were convicted of, but keep silent in the face of a trail. Bellatrix certainly didn't see the need to keep quiet."

"I never denied anything about what happened that night."

"You didn't acknowledge it either, neither did your brother and Crouch insisted on his innocence."

Rabastan's voice stayed flat, "I fail to see your point."

"Something else happened that night, didn't it?" Lee's gaze hardened. "Tell me what happened to the Longbottoms on the night of October 31st, 1981."

"You already know what happened."

"Do I?"

Rabastan stared back at the boy in silence and Lee was about to repeat his question when the other man suddenly spoke first, "Yesterday you asked if the Dark lord returned?"

Lee blinked in surprise at the sudden change in topic, "That was yesterday-"

"So, you don't want to know?"

"Are you willing to answer my question now?" Lee asked after taking a deep breath and Rabastan smirked.

"Yes."

"Fine, has he-who-must-not-be-named returned?"

"Yes."

Lee's eyes went wide at the blatant admission, "Do you have any proof to-"

Rabastan suddenly barked a laugh startling the boy before he spoke, "You say that like you think anyone will believe you."

"Why wouldn't they?"

Rabastan leaned forward still unblinking as he looked right into Lee's eyes and whispered, "Why didn't they believe Barty?"

Lee frowned when the door to the room suddenly opened.

"Times up."

Lee didn't move, he only held Rabastan's gaze.

"Mr Jordan?"

He looked up at the guard to find him frowning in confusion, Lee nodded his head as he collected his things and got up to leave but not before pausing by the entrance, "We'll continue our discussion some other time Lord Lestrange."

"Mr Jordan." Rabastan said still smirking at the boy as he left the room.

 **A/N: Please review**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

 **Hey!**

 **Thanks for all the reviews!**

 **So, from what I read there's an issue with the pov switches and the time skips. I always write with multiple povs, cause I like letting each character sort of express themselves and showing different perspectives. I know it annoys a lot of people but I don't really write any other way. Sticking to one singular pov feels stifling for me so I avoid it. As for the time skips, the confusion generated is my fault.**

 **So just to explain the time line:**

 **Everyone is moved up a year, so everyone is sixteen instead of fifteen**

 **Lee and the twins have already graduated and started working**

 **Its set post Goblet of Fire, so ignore everything after that (But just treat it as a complete AU, I am changing a lot)**

 **Lee starts interviewing the Lestranges long before Ron even gets pregnant. So, everything else is happening simultaneously: Ron finds out he's pregnant, Dudley starts at Durmstrang, Severus' relationship with Harry takes off blah blah blah – all at the same time. Lee starts interviewing the Lestranges months before that. Treat Lee's parts like a flashback. I did this because I wanted a sort of slow burn for their relationship so when he finds out about Ron's situation it becomes a trigger for him sort of allowing them in during something that happens later.**

 **Everything else will be explained in the story as it moves along.**

 **Usual apologies**

 **Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

Neville is amazing.

Ron has said a lot of things about the raven-haired teen. He's teased and made fun of him multiple times, but really, he is a great friend.

After they left the dungeon Ron felt a bit better than he did when he woke up that morning, but he still wasn't up to going to the great hall for breakfast. No one knew his secret so its not like anyone would be talking about it, but the idea of going out around the other students and professors just made him feel nauseous. Like they'd all just take one look at him and know everything. But he needed to eat if he was going to take his medication. Neville offered to go get him something to eat from the great hall and bring it back to the tower.

Ron headed up to the tower, both hoping and dreading that Harry would be awake and they could maybe talk about what happened the night before. But Harry wasn't there when he got back despite it being so early. Ron sat on his bed going through the book that madame Pomfrey gave him the night before only to quickly put it away when Seamus and Dean came from the bathroom and started getting dressed. Its needless to say that they were both more than surprised to find the redhead up so early but Ron just brushed it off, saying he had to meet with Snape about something important.

They talked about the quidditch game, filled him in on how the game was postponed after he went falling off his broom. Seamus asked him if he'd be able to play the next game. Ron lied and said yes.

Neville came in a few minutes after they left for breakfast. Ron's eyes went wide when he saw the sheer amount of food that the raven brought with him. Bacon, eggs and sausages. Crumpets, scones with jam and scones with cheese. Fruit salad yogurt, toast, two muffins and some pumpkin juice.

Neville blushed after he'd set it all out on the floor in the middle of the room, setting the basket he'd gotten from the elves aside as he sat down beside the redhead.

"I wasn't sure how much to get since you're eating for two right?"

"Yeah Neville, I'm eating for two, not an entire quidditch team."

Later on, Ron would shrink down in shame after he actually managed to eat all of the food Neville brought, although the raven helped him with some of it. He blamed it on the potion he took before he started to eat.

Afterwards they headed to class. They had charms that first thing, it wasn't Ron's favourite class but it was the first one he had where he sat next to Harry so he figured it would be a good time to try and talk to him, though he dreaded that conversation. They'd just made the turn around the next corner and Ron almost froze when he saw the figures headed their way walking in the opposite direction.

Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini.

Of course.

Ron wanted to crawl into a hole and never come back out.

"Ron." Neville whispered in concern and the redhead realised that he stopped in his tracks the moment he set eyes on the three Slytherin, "Are you alright?"

Ron didn't say anything as they came closer and Neville frowned, taking a hold of the redhead's elbow to tug him away, "C'mon, we'll go another way."

Ron took a deep breath as he whispered, "I… No, I might as well just get this over with, right?"

Neville didn't look sure and Ron even less.

"Well well well, if it isn't Weasel and Squib." They heard Malfoy said as they stopped just a few feet away, "And no golden saviour in sight, isn't this a rare sight to see. I have to say, the little show you put on yesterday was quite entertaining. Have a nice fall?"

Ron glared, he couldn't reign his anger in, "Oh piss off ferret face."

Malfoy glared back, Nott just rolled his eyes in annoyance. Blaise gave a snort of amusement which got the attention of his housemates but he didn't seem to care as he simply shoved his hands in his pockets. The blonde Slytherin opened his mouth to give another retort but Ron beat him to it, looking right at the Italian as he spoke.

"I need to talk to you."

Blaise arched a brow at the teen, Malfoy scoffed. "What on earth would he have to talk to a blood traitor like you about?"

Ron glared hard at the blonde, "What, Death Eaters can't hear? I told you to piss off."

Malfoy's face went red with anger and Ron could see Nott reaching for his wand. Neville's eyes went wide as he quickly reached for his own as well when-

"Fine."

"What?" Malfoy said and they all looked up at Blaise as the Slytherin turned to walk back the way they came.

"Lets just get this over with Weasley."

Ron took a deep breath as he followed. Malfoy gaped at his housemate, "Blaise-"

"I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

Ron resisted the urge to look back and smirk in victory, he had bigger things to worry about. Instead he gave Neville a look over his shoulder, the raven gave him an encouraging smile and he looked back to keep following the Slytherin. Down the hall and around the next turn. Blaise stopped at an abandoned classroom that Ron's walked past hundreds of times.

"Alohamora."

He heard the lock slip out of place and the Slytherin opened the door, Ron blinked in surprise as they stepped inside.

"I forgot you can do wandless magic."

Blaise shrugged as he stepped aside and let Ron walk in before he shut the door behind him. The redhead walked in further glancing around the dusty tables and shelves and the books stacked up against one wall, light pouring in through the dirty window. Ron took in a deep breath to steady his nerves as he turned around to face the Slytherin.

"I need to talk to you about-"

Ron didn't get the chance to finish his sentence when Blaise's arm was suddenly around his waist while his other hand cradled his face and the Slytherin kissed him. Ron blushed a deep red at the contact, for a brief moment paralysed in shock. Blaise's lips moved against his own and then the redhead's eyes slid shut as he melted into the kiss with a moan.

It was just like this, two weeks ago.

After he got on the broom, Blaise flew them into the Forbidden Forest, to a spot deep into the woods. It was a lake surrounded by trees. The waters looked like they were pitch black, reflecting the bright glowing moon over its gleaming surface with the stars shining up above. It was beautiful and there was this odd dark haunting air around them. Ron was on edge from the moment that they touched down at the lake, he wanted to leave immediately.

But Blaise didn't look afraid, he didn't even look uncomfortable.

"Shh." The Slytherin hissed as he stepped away from the Gryffindor and the broom and walked over to the side. Slow steady steps towards the edge of the lake which is when Ron suddenly realised that the lake wasn't still. The water was rippling, circles growing bigger and bigger, moving from a point at the edge of the lake where Blaise was headed until they suddenly stopped when Blaise did. The Slytherin reached out to touch…

Nothing. There was nothing there for Blaise to touch but his hand stayed up in the air as if holding something while the other stroked repeatedly.

Ron frowned, "What're you-"

"Come on." The Slytherin said and Ron's frown grew, Blaise rolled his eyes, "Just come over here. If I wanted to kill you, I would've just dropped you while we were on the broom."

"You say that like I would've let you." The redhead huffed but he still moved closer still feeling uneasy as he stopped at the other's side. Blaise reached out to take his hand and Ron allowed the movement as his hand was raised only to bite back a yelp and flinch back when he actually felt something.

"What-"

"Calm down." Blaise said as he pulled the redhead close and put his hand back and Ron almost flinched again before taking in a deep breath as he rested his hand on the side of something warm smooth skin. Thin skin, he could feel some sort of skeletal structure underneath and when he moved his hand further up, he felt a long thick main of hair. He felt a huff of breath against his shoulder. The skin was moving, a creature breathing in and out and moving a bit.

"What is it?" Ron asked as he brought up his other hand to touch the creature, Blaise didn't let go of the redhead's arm as he looked down at him before he spoke.

"A thestral."

"A what?!" Ron yelped in alarm as he tried to get away only for the Slytherin to hold him still. "Calm down."

"Calm down? Don't you know how dangerous these things are-"

"They're only dangerous when provoked now calm down." Blaise said. The thestral could sense the redhead's panic and it started getting uneasy. Blaise kept one hand on the side of the animal while his other hand stayed locked around Ron's wrist.

"Just breathe. If you freak out you'll startle it, now breathe."

Ron did as he was told, taking deep breaths, "Shh." Blaise whispered and the redhead felt himself start to calm. The Thestral stopped squirming uncomfortably.

"See, everything's fine."

"You do know that thestrals are bad luck, don't you?"

Blaise rolled his eyes, "Superstitious nonsense. They're beautiful creatures, completely misunderstood."

Ron paused, "You can see it."

"Yes." Blaise said without hesitation as he let the redhead go and brought both his hands up to what he assumed would be the thestral's head. Ron felt tempted to pull his hand away. Instead he brought his other hand up wondering what it looked like, almost wishing he could see it while being grateful that he couldn't. Only those that have witnessed death can see thestrals.

"Who-… how did-"

"My father and no I didn't kill him. Slytherin aren't naturally predisposed to murder let alone patricide, regardless of what Gryffindors and goody-goody light families might think."

Ron's eyes went wide, "I wasn't going to say that."

"But you'd think it."

Ron didn't say anything to that and Blaise kept talking, "This one's a mare, two years old I think."

"How do you know that?"

"We have thestrals at the manor. Father started breeding them the year I was born, he always loved them. Strong beautiful creatures, he used to say. Rejected by a world that simply refuses to understand them."

Ron looked away squinting at the empty space where he could feel that smooth warmth, "The ministry has them banned. They say they're dangerous."

Blaise scoffed, "The ministry has dozens of banned objects in its registry, half of which are completely harmless."

They were both silent for a moment when the Slytherin spoke again, "I think its safe to assume that you're never ridden a thestral."

Ron didn't answer him and Blaise gave a snort, "Don't worry I won't try to force you on one. This one's too wild to try and ride anyway."

"Really? She seems calm enough."

"Try to mount her and see what happens." Blaise challenged as he shook his head, "It wouldn't be safe for you anyway, you can't even see her."

"Well," Ron paused, "What does it look like?"

Blaise looked up at him for a moment before walking around to stand behind the Gryffindor, "Close your eyes."

"I don't think so."

"You've gotten this far. Is this really that big of a step?"

He has a point.

Ron huffed out a sigh of frustration and shut his eyes, "Fine."

He felt Blaise's hands on top of his own and the Slytherin started moving them.

"Imagine dark skin, grey-almost black. A mane of long pitch-black hair." Ron allowed himself to be moved and stepped around the side feeling over the body, almost like a horse but with skin so thin he could feel the bones. They stopped at what felt like another thick bone protruding from the side, over a long leathery flap with smooth edges. "Huge wings, like a bat tucked into her sides." And then they moved back over what felt like a neck up to her neck and onto a head. "Scales, some of them are darker than the others and long fangs resting against her bottom lip." Bumpy, it felt like there were rivets there, a long snout, Ron jumped when he felt sharp and pointy teeth.

"I'd take you around the back but, she'd make us both regret it."

Blaise leaned in next to the redhead's ear, "She has the softest grey eyes, tortured but serene. The furthest thing from a dark evil creature and yet an hour ago, you probably hated her."

Ron's eyes snapped open at that and Blaise stepped away going to the side and pressing a kiss against the thestrals invisible side. The redhead didn't know how to respond his mouth opened and closed a few times and he looked down at the empty space where he held the thestrals head. He remembered the incident with Remus, how he reacted to finding out that Remus was a werewolf. He thought of Snape and how he thought of how the man just had to be a Death Eater but how the man protected them. He thought of how absolutely sure everyone was of Sirius Black's guilt in the Potter family murders. The way he reacts to the mere mention of all dark creatures. The way he's reacted to every Slytherin he's met

"It's not like that." Ron said quietly and Blaise looked up at him, "I… How do you-… what do you do when you've been told the same thing everyday since you were born? How do you stop believing…" The red head took a deep breath, "How do you make it O.K to feel different from what you felt before?"

Blaise paused, "Do you feel different?"

"Sometimes, but it's not. You're not supposed to-"

And then the redhead's eyes went wide when a hand went around to cup his jaw and turn his head to the side and a kiss was pressed against his lips. Ron froze and Blaise pulled back.

"Stop thinking so hard. If you feel something, then let yourself feel it." Ron was speechless the Slytherin smiled at him and he couldn't stop himself. Ron wrapped his arms around Blaise's neck and kissed him, full and hard and the Slytherin seemed to stumble back in surprise. Chuckling briefly as he wrapped his arms around the redhead's waist and kissed him back

Two weeks ago, and yet the moment the Slytherin kissed him, Ron felt himself start to come apart like it was the first time. But he couldn't let himself stay in that haze for too long. Blaise broke the kiss, smirking at the redhead when his eyes fluttered open.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing, I just felt like it." Blaise said as he pulled away and went to lean back against the teacher's desk at the front of the class. "What did you want to talk about?"

Ron felt himself flush and he had to look away, "It's about what happened between you and me… in the forest two weeks ago."

Blaise started to smirk, "I thought you said you never wanted to talk about it."

"There's a problem."

And then the Slytherin started to frown, "What problem?"

"I-…" Ron took one more deep breath and spoke before he could convince himself otherwise, "I'm pregnant."

Blaise gave a scoff, "You're what?"

"I'm pregnant Blaise."

"You can't be you're a ma-"

"Do you know what carriers are?"

And then the Slytherin went silent. Ron cleared his throat wishing that the earth would just open up and swallow him whole so he wouldn't have to have this conversation.

"Carriers are-"

Before Ron could finish his sentence, he was cut off yet again as the Slytherin grabbed his arm and dragged him from the classroom and rushed down the hallway.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ron hissed as he was pulled along, going right passed Neville who seemed to be waiting for his friend only for his eyes to go wide when he saw the two storm passed him. Blaise paid no attention to the other students that they passed, he didn't really seem to care, though Ron felt his face flush several shades darker at the stares and whispers that he caught as they went by. They were headed to the infirmary, Ron might not be the smartest student in school but he could guess why.

They broke through the hospital wing doors moments later, the large doors slammed shut behind them and madame Pomfrey quickly walked in at the sound. The woman frowned at the pair when she caught sight of them.

"What on earth-"

"He says he's pregnant." Blaise hissed as he dragged the redhead closer and almost tossed his arm aside. Ron glared hard at the Slytherin completely missing the look on the mediwitches face as her gaze darted between the two teens and realisation dawned on her.

"I see." Poppy said seeming to nod to herself as she took a deep breath and gestured towards an empty bed, "Well, Mr Weasely. You know how this goes, same as yesterday."

Ron wanted to argue but decided against it, he'd rather just show the other rather than explain the whole situation himself anyway. He took of his robes and got up on the cot lifting his jumper and shirt to expose his stomach and undid the buckle of his belt to lower his pants a bit. Madame Pomfrey took out her wand and gave a brief wave as she muttered a brief spell under her breath and a sonar screen came floating into the room.

The redhead lay back as the witch came closer and Blaise stepped closer to the bed as well. The woman glanced up at him for a brief moment before clearing her throat to begin.

"Let's get started. Like I told Mr Weasley yesterday, unlike muggle sonar machines magical sonars can pick up on the development of a new magical core within the first few days and the earliest development of a heartbeat within the first two weeks. The chances of inaccuracy in determining pregnancy are slim to none." Her wand started to glow and she gave Ron a soft smile, "Deep breaths, try to relax."

Ron did as he was told trying to breathe deep and calm his nerves but it was hard focusing on that when Blaise was standing right there beside the bed not saying a word. It wouldn't be so bad if the Slytherin would just show some kind of emotion on his face.

Poppy brought her wand down to touch his skin and Ron shut his eyes until he heard the tell-tale sound of the heartbeat on the sonar machine.

"That is your heartbeat Mr Weasley and then this," Her wand moved down lower and a different thumping noise came from the machine. The rhythm was different from Ron's, at a different slower pace but still steady. "This is the baby's heartbeat. You can see it right there."

This time Ron opened his eyes to look at the screen on the sonar machine and he saw a small pulsing lump in the centre of the green screen. Last night, he hadn't really gotten the opportunity to fully appreciate what he was seeing. Too absorbed in his own shock to really see it but now. He felt something warm spread across his chest at the sight, something than made his chest feel tight, his throat clenched. He almost wanted to cry, scream… maybe break something while he cursed repeatedly. Instead the redhead swallowed hard. The steady thump thump thump almost felt painful to his ears. Part of him wanted to block it all out, the other half wanted to hear it forever.

He's always wanted children. He's always wanted his own family. Things were difficult for him growing up, for a number of reasons though he is grateful for everything his parents did for him. He was a happy child growing up on the farm. Nothing seemed wrong or out of place. Even his brother's taunts and pranks didn't seem all that bad. His parents were lovely. They tried extraordinarily hard and, to be honest Ron never realised that anything in his life had been lacking, not until he got to Hogwarts. At Hogwarts the other pureblood kids had new books and new robes, wands made of the finest materials. For the first time he noticed the oddity of his hand me down clothes, the old outdated robes and the ratty textbooks. He suddenly felt so out of place. It brewed a lot of resentment in him, although he knew it was an irrational feeling.

He grew up happy and healthy, he never needed anything. Then he met the kids at Hogwarts. He met Malfoy, heard other students make fun of his robes, his faulty hand me down wand wasn't making things any better and-… Sometimes he'd catch himself growing jealous. He wouldn't really know what to do with those emotions that would push and claw at his chest. He'd burst and act out. He hurt Hermione and Harry so many times, lashed out at Neville more than just a few times though he had no right to do so. He wanted to be normal, he wanted to be accepted. He wanted to be like everyone else and at the same time-

Hermione was sweet and Harry was just the greatest friend. They made it feel alright being different made him feel like he didn't have anything to be ashamed of and then at the same time he wanted more from his life. He wanted more than what he had, but Molly always made such thoughts so… difficult.

Whenever he had thoughts of wanting more, he'd hear his mother's voice in the back of his head, scolding him over his greed, scolding him for not being content with what he had and wanting to be like everyone else. Slytherin is the home of the cunning and ambitious. Ambition, such a terrible thing. Too much ambition is what caused the rise of the dark lord and brought him such loyal followers, ambition and greed and the desire for more. Gryffindor is the home of the loyal and the brave. It's the house of Albus Dumbledore one of the greatest wizards to ever live. Gryffindor families are light families and the Weasley family has been loyal to the light for decades, withstanding ostracization by the rest of the wizarding world, bravely standing by their beliefs. Ron had always been proud of that, he's still proud of it but at the same time-

He wanted more.

Ron wanted children because he wanted a second chance. He wanted to be able to give someone else everything he never had. He wasn't really sure how to go about it though. He didn't have the best marks in school and although he was decent as a quidditch player he certainly wasn't good enough to play professionally. He wanted so much but he didn't know what to do with those desires. Ambition without direction can be a dangerous thing. It can be a paralysing thing. Ron was the latter.

He didn't do well in school, he was average at quidditch so he settled. He could finish school and then go work for the ministry. He wouldn't get all that he wanted but its better than nothing. He thought of becoming an auror, talked about it with Harry a million times but he didn't hold up much hope of making it through the auror program. And what if he who must not be named finally reared his ugly head and war finally broke out? What then?

Ron thought about these things but never for too long. His mother told him to trust in Dumbledore and the light, all would be well. He'd try but he couldn't help but doubt.

Now he's having a child.

How could he keep it? Would he really be able to give the child everything he's wanted to give? And how would he give it away? What if a war broke out? What if the child was harmed?

"Oh Salazar." Blaise gasped and Ron turned his head to look at the other teen. Suddenly remembering that he wasn't alone. He suppressed a snort at the look of complete and total utter shock on Blaise's face.

The Slytherin stumbled back, bracing his hands on the cot behind him as he raised a hand to his head and cursed, "Shit."

Madame Pomfrey let out a soft sigh as she pulled the wand back and banished the monitor, "I'll give you two some time alone."

Ron zipped up his pants and buckled his belt before pushing his shirt down just as Blaise spoke.

"Why on earth didn't you tell me that you were a carrier?"

"I didn't know."

"You didn't know?! How the hell could you not kno-"

"If I knew that I was capable of getting pregnant or that any man for that matter was capable of getting pregnant I wouldn't have let any other bloke near me."

Blaise just stared back at him in silence, his hands clenched against his sides, his leg bounced over and over again until the Slytherin suddenly shut his eyes and turned, "I need to think."

"You need to think?" Ron asked incredulously as he got off the bed, "Think about what-"

Blaise ignored him as he left the hospital wing and the redhead just stared after him in shock. Its not like he didn't expect it, but actually seeing Blaise just walk out on him like that made his chest pull tight and his throat clench. He swallowed hard, tried to remember to breathe.

Sweet Merlin.

Is he really in this alone?

Madame Pomfrey walked back into he room just then pursing her lips together in a tight line.

Ron looked up at her, gave a snort and tried to make it seem as convincingly uncaring as he hoped it would, "Let me guess, give him time?"

"It's a big shock." The mediwitch said as she stopped by the bed beside the redhead, "Do you remember how I told you that I haven't encountered a male carrier in more than ten years?" Ron nodded his head as she continued, "The man, well boy back then, was a student here at Hogwarts same age as you. He had no idea that he was a carrier either and he was just as terrified as I'm sure you are when he found out about it."

"Let me guess, the other bloke involved stormed out on him too?"

Madame Pomfrey shook her head, "No no, he never fell pregnant. He had an accident and when I ran bloodline tests on him, I discovered that he was a carrier."

"I don't really see what I have to do with-"

"There was a boy he liked, he found out that he was a carrier and he was elated at the prospect of them marrying and having children someday. But they never did."

"Why not?"

The woman's head gave a tilt, "Honestly, I'm not quite sure. They broke up, quite violently actually, though I'm not sure why." And then she looked over to the redhead, "What I think is important to note is that Mr Zabini didn't ask you to explain what carriers are. I hope… Have you spoken to professor Snape yet? Did he tell you? About the bond necessary to for carrier pregnancies to be possible?"

"Yes."

"The carrier gene is part of old magic. Bloodline magic. As a Zabini I'm sure he understands the implications of you falling pregnant with his child." And then madame Pomfrey frowned, "It really is quite strange that your parents didn't inform you of it."

Ron looked up at the woman with his own frown, "Are you saying they knew?"

"It isn't impossible that they wouldn't know, but normally…" Madame Pomfrey sighed, "When a child is born into a magical family the ministry conducts a series of tests to determine bloodline traits. So, parents know what to expect from the child's development. Werewolf children, Veela children. Children with advanced abilities. These tests are highly contested by activists fearing that children may be mistreated because of the diagnosis of these tests but they often do more good than harm since parents can prepare for whatever happens in the future." The mediwitch folded her arms across her chest. "As a pureblood they should have conducted the tests on you as well. You should've been informed of this when you turned sixteen."

Ron's frown deepened as he looked down to the tiled floors beneath his feet in thought. Do his parents know? If they knew then why wouldn't they have told him? At the very least the twins would have somehow found out and teased him mercilessly about it for years. Why on earth wouldn't they tell him?

"In any event, try not to worry about Mr Zabini too much. Stress isn't good for the baby." Madame Pomfrey said as she stood up straight and smoothed out the skirt of her dress. "If you've already seen professor Snape then I assume he already gave you the prenatal supplements?"

"Yes."

"Works wonders don't they." The woman smiled, "Make sure you take them just the way he told you. Have you spoken to Harry or Hermione yet?"

Ron sighed looking away, "I'm giving them time."

Poppy sighed, "If you need someone to talk to-"

"No, I'm fine." Ron said taking a deep breath as he got up, raking a hand through his hair, "I should go."

The older woman nodded, "Of course."

"Wait." Ron started as he looked back at the woman, "Does the headmaster know yet?"

"I went to see him this morning." Madame Pomfrey said, "Your parents should be informed before the end of the day."

"Brilliant." Ron muttered as he continued on his way out the door and Madame Pomfrey couldn't help but frown as she watched him go. So strange that Molly wouldn't tell Ron that he was a carrier. She must have known, then again, its always possible that she had no idea.

The mediwitch turned around and made her way to her office. Maybe a quick call with the Ministry and St Mungo's is in order.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We all have our vices. Those dark little desires quietly stirring in the back of our heads, begging for attention and demanding satisfaction.

For Dudley, it was a boy named Arnold.

Dudley shuffled down the empty hallway, books clutched tightly against his chest as he tried and failed to avoid bumping into anyone as he made his way to his… _guardian's_ quarters.

The past month has been difficult to say the least, but nothing absolutely nothing could have prepared him for what happened to him the day before. It started one month ago when he was attacked by his so-called friends in an alley in uptown Cokes worth.

They were up to no good, so its probably nothing more than Karmic justice that everything was immediately turned on its head. But he thought he was save. With Arnold there, Dudley always felt safe.

Arnold Bunting was a boy that Pugsley met in his last year of middle school. He was a senior in high school at the time. He was tall and strong and handsome and incredibly cool. They met because of a party his friends convinced him to go to, though they didn't have to try too hard. Harry – the freak - was back from Hogwarts for the summer. That single fact left his parents difficult to deal with. They became overbearing.

It's something he doesn't like to think about too closely, how persistent and overbearing they became whenever the freak was there. When he was younger, he loved it. The attention, the gifts and praise for practically no reason whatsoever, while the freak was pushed aside and ignored. It made him feel special, but then he got older. He went to school and suddenly things were different. At school, outside the warm fuzzy cocoon of oblivious bliss his parents constantly kept him wrapped in vanished.

Outside and away from his parents, he wasn't special. He was just another child, another student at school, another kid on the playground. He had to make actual effort to get anything resembling praise. Throwing a tantrum and crying to get something he wanted, didn't fly.

Then he'd get home and Pugsley would be special again. That's when he noticed.

He was only good because at home the freak wasn't, he was only special because the freak wasn't. At first, he revelled in it. Outside he was in the big bad awful world that was completely unfair to him for absolutely no reason whatsoever and when he got home, he'd be the golden child completely showered with all the affection in the world.

But time went on, he got older and he noticed that his parents only treated him so well, in order to make the freak feel bad.

Then the freak went away to the freak school, his mother seemed more distracted, she suddenly had more things to do. Sometimes she'd lose her temper with him which she usually never did. His father was equally distractible just as easily angered, but the differences weren't too obvious.

At first.

But then he'd be back and Pugsley was special again. He took advantage of it. He'd mock the freak, talk down to him, insult him. His parents only seemed to egg him on.

But then he'd leave again. Pugsley realised he needed a new focus for those months when _he_ wasn't there. Somewhere to go and something to do so he wouldn't have to deal with his parents suddenly just being so absent.

Pugsley made new friends, which wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be. All he had to do was flash some of the money and gifts his parents showered on him whenever the freak was home and he'd have friends for days. Always praising him and standing by his side.

Its these friends that told him about a party that was being thrown by some older kids on the other side of town. The freak was home, so it didn't take much persuasion to convince Dudley to sneak out and got to the party without his parents' permission. They wouldn't punish Dudley as long as _he_ was there.

He went to the party and that's where he met Arnold. That's when things changed and suddenly started spinning out of control, until that day one month ago. Dudley made a mistake, Arnold got upset resulting in all his friends suddenly turning against him. Dudley was scared and confused and without meaning to he tapped into what they tell him is his magical core. Things got worse. He lost all his friends, no one would speak to him and worst of all his parents changed, they drew away from him. They became even more distant than before.

They started treating him like the freak.

Dudley was ripped from his thoughts as let out a grunt of pain when he was bumped into and fell to his knees, his books scattered before him.

No one seemed to notice. There were a few students that glanced down at him, but for the most part no one seemed to care, though they managed to avoid stepping on his books as they went on their way. Dudley felt his eyes begin to sting but he did his best to force back the tears as he quickly collected his books only to pause when someone else suddenly came down beside him. He wasn't wearing a uniform like the other students that drummed by passed them and looked like he was at least a year older. Dudley could only stare as the man helped him collect his books and stacked them up.

"You don't seem like you're from around here." Dark eyes on a handsome face with a strong square jaw snapped up to lock onto him, "I assume you're new. A late muggleborn I assume?"

His voice was deep with a thick accent. The man picked up the stack of books and Dudley was so surprised by it all that he only stood up along with him. The older man stood up to his full height as he held out the raven's books towards him.

He was tall.

"Viktor Krum." He said giving a bow.

Dudley opened his mouth, before closing it again. He couldn't stop thinking about everything he's been through the passed few months. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened the very night before. Under the weight of all those thoughts and all those emotions he could barely think. The fear and anxiety was crippling, Dudley suddenly felt like he couldn't say a word. He looked away and grabbed his books before turning around to rush away.

"Wait!" Viktor called but Dudley didn't so much as pause, bumping into some of the oncoming students much harder than he had before. Clutching his books tightly against his chest.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rushing, rushing. It feels like he barely has a moment to pause and rest these days. But its alright, he expected this. He thrives on this. Order and schedules and deadlines that need to be met, the need for discipline and a higher sense of responsibility.

Working for the ministry was difficult for several reasons, but Percy didn't mind too much, even if his family started making things even more difficult.

"Oh Percy!" A perky little brown-haired girl with dark eyes said just as Percy rushed through the open office area towards the Minister's office.

"What is it Isabel?" Percy said distractedly, trying to balance his notes long with the stacks of paperwork that needed to be signed. "I'm in a rush, I have to get these proposals on the Minister's desk before twelve o'clock."

The girl looked down at her watch. "It's eleven fifty-five."

"And that's exactly why you have two minutes." Percy said shortly as he dodged an elf and moved around a desk.

"Oh, right." The girl said immediately shuffling through the paperwork she had in her own hands, "I have a few more last-minute proposals to give to the Minister, regulation on fairy related items. Silk, wings, teeth."

"Potions ingredients. From apocathery owners I assume." Percy said as he took the file from the girl and she nodded, "Right, then Gringotts is upgrading its security measures, they'd like permission to use some… unorthodox methods for security."

"They're probably pushing to have dementors on the premises, but those are dark creatures not guard dogs. Gringotts isn't Azkaban." The redhead took the file all the same as the girl continued, "They're also asking to use Boggarts."

"Of course, they are." Percy said with a heavy sigh, "Anything else?"

"Just one more," The girl seemed to pause, "St Mungo's wants authorisation to release medical documents to Hogwarts, they were requested by Madame Poppy Pomfrey, for one of their students."

Percy frowned just as they stopped in front of the door of the Minister's office, "Hogwarts has full access to Medical records for each and every one of their students in order to ensure their safety and health. They don't need our permission to hand them over."

"She's asking for medical documents concerning blood traits and inheritance." The girl answered and Percy frowned as he took the file from her and opened it. The redhead's eyes went wide.

"Ronald Billius Weasley? Why on earth would they need… is he hurt?" Percy asked and Isabel shrugged, "They didn't say, but I don't think so."

"This doesn't even make sense. We don't have any blood traits or magical inheritances."

"Apparently you do, or at least, your brother does." The girl muttered and Percy's eyes narrowed down ever so slightly, "You read it."

The girl blinked, "I was curious I didn't mean any harm."

The redhead sighed. Isabel shifted a bit in front of him, "It's a real doozy too."

Percy paused and then his gaze snapped over to the clock on the wall.

Two minutes.

He quickly flipped through the file and his eyes widened for a second time, this time he almost dropped the other files in his hands. He looked up at Isabel who was looking at him expectantly. Percy lowered his voice as he took a step away from the door.

"Did Poppy say what she needed this for?"

"No."

Percy glanced back up at the watch, "Alright take this and make a copy for me, then bring it back and I'll slip it in with the others."

"But-"

"Isabel, I don't have time just do it." Percy said as he immediately turned to the door and took a deep breath to compose himself before he knocked and stepped inside.

"Good afternoon Minister."

"Ah, Mr Weasley, right on schedule."

 **A/N:**

 **Please review**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey!**

 **Thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate all of them. I was actually kind of unsure about the whole Rabastan/Lee/Rodolphus pairing when I started writing thing but I'm glad you guys liked it.**

 **Usual apologies**

 **Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

Charms.

Ron got to class relatively early, he went to class after leaving the hospital wing. His encounter with Blaise was still whirling around in his head and he… He needed a distraction. He needed to just stop thinking about the pregnancy and Blaise and everything, even if he had to focus on Flitwick's unending lectures to do it.

The professor was surprised to see Ron Weasley of all people actually early to class but he welcomed the teen inside. Telling him how he hoped that the redhead would continue with this good behaviour. Ron gave him a wry smile as he promised to try.

Neville walked in just a few moments later.

"Hey," The raven said sliding into the seat beside him, he lowered his voice as he glanced up nervously at the professor. "How'd it go?"

"How do you think?" Ron said dryly, fiddling with the edge of his charms book, Neville pursed his lips together.

"That bad?"

"No, not really." The redhead sighed, "It could've been worse. I guess I was just hoping for… something, anything to make this all feel better."

Neville nodded in understanding, "What did he say?"

"He didn't believe me at first. Dragged me to Pomfrey and she had to show him the baby on the ultrasound scan. Then he said he needed time to think."

"Well, that's not so bad."

"I know."

"Who knows, maybe all he needs is time to think." Neville said and Ron glanced up at him before looking away again, "I guess."

Neville gave his friend a sad smile before he changed the subject, asking Ron if he got around to starting on the DADA essay yet. He was trying to distract Ron, Ron appreciated it. For once dealing with school work seemed easier than dealing with the mess he'd found himself in. They chatted for a while. The classroom slowly started to fill up but Ron only barely noticed. It wasn't till Harry and Hermione walked in that he finally paid attention.

Harry looked right at him when he walked into the room, Hermione glanced up nervously at the bespectacled boy, tugging at his sleeve and Harry looked down at her for a brief moment. Neville fell silent from his ramblings when he noticed that Ron's attention had shifted and who it shifted to.

Hermione said something, still tugging at Harry's sleeve. The raven let out a soft sigh as he said something shortly before pulling out of her grasp to make his way over to Ron.

The redhead blinked in surprise but didn't move.

Harry stopped at the desk, tugged at his bag as he glanced between the two.

"Hey."

"Morning Harry." Neville said and Ron gave a forced smile and a nod.

"I-" he stopped took a deep breath, before he looked over to the raven beside him.

"Neville do you mind, I wanted to talk to Ron."

Neville blinked before he got up from his seat, "Oh right. I'll see you later."

"Sure." Ron said, not admitting that he'd rather have Neville sitting next to him. Earlier he thought he was ready to talk to Harry.

He was wrong.

Harry watched him move a few seats back before he slid into the vacant seat.

"I didn't see you at breakfast this morning." Harry said and Ron gave a slight shrug.

"I wasn't… I didn't really feel up to it."

Harry nodded, taking out his books to set on the desk before he took another deep breath. "Ron, about last night. I'm sorry I just walked out like that."

Ron paused, their situation was strange. Ron didn't think that there was really anything for Harry to be sorry about. If he was in the raven's position, he doesn't know how he'd react. He wasn't angry with Harry, but he needed to know-

"Why did you walk out like that?"

"I don't know." Harry raked a hand through his hair, "I was just shocked. I didn't even know that it was possible for a bloke to get… you know." The bespectacled Wizard said as he gestured to his friend, Ron resisted the urge to flinch, "And then, I found out the only way for that to happen was for you to, you know, with another man, I just-"

"Freaked out at the prospect of being friends with a poofter?" Ron couldn't keep the accusing tone out of his voice, Harry's eyes went wide.

"No that's not what I meant, I just, I always thought…" Harry let out a sigh of frustration, "After Lavender and you're always talking about Hermione. I thought you were straight. I didn't know you were like me." Harry said the last part quietly and Ron's eyes went wide.

"Oh."

Harry started to blush, ducking his head down a bit, "It was a shock and I just needed time to process it."

It occurred to Ron exactly what the consensus was on same sex relationships in the muggle world and since Harry was raised by muggles his behaviour now kind of made sense. Then he remembered what Blaise said before he left the infirmary.

' _I need time to think'_

The redhead let out sigh, "I get it and… I'm not angry with you Harry I'm just overwhelmed."

Harry gave a snort, "I can imagine."

Ron laughed and Harry moved closer to the redhead, "So what did Pomfrey say, after I left?"

"Not much, she gave me this book about pregnancies. I have to go back and see her in a few weeks to get a check-up."

"Have you decided on what you're going to do about the baby?"

Ron paused, "No."

"Well there's still time to decide right?"

"Yeah," Ron shook his head, "That's if Mum lets me live long enough to see the baby being born."

Harry gave a snort, "You haven't told them yet?"

"No, but madame Pomfrey said that Dumbledore would be _informing_ them soon."

"It might not be so bad; your mom loves kids."

"I'm not sure how she'll feel about me having a kid in school."

"I see the problem." Harry said before he shifted in his seat a bit awkwardly, "Have you told the father yet?"

Ron tensed and looked over to his best friend. "Yes."

Harry stared back at him, "Is it Neville?"

Ron's eyes went wide, "What – no of course not, why would you-"

"I saw you two, in the bathroom this morning and, you seemed so close just now. I just can't see who else it would be-"

"It's not Neville! Neville was just helping out that's it."

"Alright, Alright I get it." Harry said lifting his hands in surrender. Ron folded his arms across his chest with a huff, "If its isn't Neville then who is it?"

"I… I can't tell you."

"Why-"

"But I will, just not yet." Ron turned in his seat to face the other, "I just… he didn't exactly take it well when I told him and I want to make sure things are O.K before I say too much."

"He didn't take it well?" Harry frowned and Ron sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

"He freaked out because I didn't tell him I was a carrier-"

"But you didn't know you were a carrier."

"I told him that, he just shut down on me and told me he needed time to think." Ron sighed again turning back to slump over his desk. "Merlin, this is all such a mess."

"It'll be alright, like you said last night you don't need him. I'm sure Molly will settle into the idea once you explain and-" Harry paused to put wrap his arm around the redhead's shoulders and leaned in towards him, "You have me. It'll be fine."

Ron looked up at the other and gave a smile, "Thanks mate."

He really doesn't deserve friends like this.

Speaking of friends-

"How does Hermione feel about all this."

Harry paused, "She's shocked I think."

"You think?"

The raven paused staring back at his friend like he wanted to say something but thought better of it, "I think it would be best if you talked to her yourself."

Ron frowned before just shaking his head, "I guess."

"Here." Harry started pulling away from the redhead to reach into his robes and pulled out a napkin and opened it up to reveal a blueberry muffin inside, "You didn't show for breakfast and you're eating for two now, right?"

"Actually, Neville and I ate in the dorms."

"Oh."

"But when have I ever said no to food." The redhead said taking the muffin with a soft smile, "Thank you Harry."

Harry smiled back, Flitwick spoke up just then to start the class. It went quietly enough. After class Hermione came up to them just before they were about to leave, she apologised for leaving so suddenly, Ron made it clear that there wasn't really anything to apologise for before the bushy haired girl started rattling off every pregnancy book in the library that she knew of. Ron gave a snort at her behaviour as they walked down the crowded halls to their next class, Neville tagged along. Harry was oddly quiet.

"Hey." Ron started, nudging his friend's arm as they lagged behind Hermione a little. "What's wrong?"

Harry blinked, "Nothing, nothing's wrong."

"You're just so quiet."

Harry shook his head, dragging a hand through his hair, "It's nothing really. You know I never asked, what did Pomfrey say about quidditch? Can you still play?"

Ron wanted to frown at the sudden change in topic but decided to just shrug instead, "Absolutely not allowed, at least not until the baby's born."

"So, you won't be playing the rematch then." Harry sighed, "It's alright, there's always next year, right?"

Ron groaned in despair, "This is so unfair."

Harry gave a snort.

"What're you two whispering about?"

The two teens looked up an found Hermione frowning at them.

"We're going to be late if you don't hurry."

Ron shook his head, "Of course, because Binns ever notices when someone is late for his class when he's babbling on about the goblin wars."

Hermione gave the redhead a stern look, "Just because we can be late, doesn't mean we should be, now c'mon."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Alright," He looked down at Harry and couldn't help but frown at the look on the raven's face.

"Harry are you sure-"

"I'm fine, let's just go." The redhead gave a grunt of surprise when Harry grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, walking right past Hermione, who'd turned her attention to Neville as they walked along the halls.

Other than Harry's strange behaviour, the day was relatively quiet and things almost felt normal again. That is until they got to potions. Somehow Ron managed to forget that they shared the class with Slytherin, he managed to forget that he'd see Blaise later that day. He tried not to let on how nervous he felt and for the most part it worked, though Neville glanced over to him in concern just after they took their seats in the class. He'd taken to chatting with Harry about who they should put in as the quidditch keeper, purposefully keeping his gaze away from the door.

He still noticed when Blaise arrived. If it wasn't because of the eyes he felt lock onto him then definitely because of Malfoy making snide comments while his other minions snickered around him.

"That's enough chatter."

Ron's never thought he'd ever be happy to hear his potions professors bored drawl.

Snape walked over to the blackboard, barely even pausing before he started the class.

"Turn to page 53 in your books, today we'll be reviewing potions ingredients that can be harvested from dragons, unicorns and similar magical creatures, and their different properties when used in potion making- Yes, Miss Granger."

Snape said turning his gaze on the girl sitting in the front row who'd raised her hand.

"But professor, aren't we supposed to be brewing a new potion today?"

"We were and now we're not." Snape said simply and Hermione frowned.

"But sir-"

"Miss Granger, am I to believe that you wish to tell me how I should teach my class?"

"Of course, not sir."

"Then I suggest you lower your hand and keep your mouth shut."

Hermione flushed, the class broke out in quiet snickers only for Snape to give them all a sharp look and they immediately went silent. Ron glared, almost unbelieving that this snarky prat is the same man that had spoken to him so calmly and made him feel better when he felt so lost just this morning. But he couldn't focus on that for too long. He could still feel those eyes burning holes into the back of his head, all through class and it took everything he had not to look back and match that gaze. Instead he focused on actually making notes for potions for the first time since he even started at Hogwarts.

Harry nudged his arm halfway through class, scribbling a message on a piece of parchment and sliding it over to the redhead beside him.

' _Since when do you take notes'_

Ron gave a snort, ' _I'm trying to be a good influence on you mate. Merlin knows you need it'_

Harry rolled his eyes, _'Sure, because between the two of us I'm the one failing potions'_

They reached the end of the class, Ron picked up his books and made to follow Harry and the others out when-

"Mr Weasley. A word." Snape said and the redhead stopped dead in his tracks.

Harry frowned in concern. "What does Snape want to talk about?"

"We'll be right outside." Neville said giving Harry a nudge and the raven's frown deepened.

"But-"

"It'll be fine." Ron said with a soft smile and watched as his friends reluctantly left the classroom, he just barely noticed Blaise slide passed him to leave the room. He felt something being slipped into his pocket and caught the Slytherin's gaze just as he walked out the door. Only to blink when the door moved to shut and he heard the lock slip into place. Looking back, he found Snape sitting at his desk just as he set his wand down on the table.

"I see you've told him."

"How-"

"I'm not sure I've ever seen Zabini so distracted in my class before."

Ron huffed out a sigh as he walked over to stand at the desk, "You had something to discuss sir."

Snape arched a brow at the teen before simply bringing his hands together to set on his desk as he spoke, "I'm not sure if Poppy's told you but because of your, condition there are certain potions you just won't be allowed to brew and certain ingredients you wouldn't be allowed to touch. It would be too dangerous for the foetus."

Ron blinked, suddenly realising that that was the reason for the sudden change in lesson plan for the day, "Oh. Right."

"You're excused from class during practical sessions. You'll give in hand written assignments and schedule a few extra tests so you can make up the grade. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

Snape nodded, "Did you take the potions I gave you?"

"Yes."

"Once you're both ready I want you and Zabini to come to my office so I can get some samples to make new potions. Once that's done with any lingering morning sickness should dissipate completely." The potions master explained before nodding to the door, "That's it for now Mr Weasley. You're excused."

Ron nodded, turned around to leave only to pause.

"Did he talk to you about it?"

"Did who talk to me about what?"

"Blaise," The redhead started taking a deep breath before he spoke, "Did he say anything about-"

Snape stared back at him with those soul crushing eyes, though Ron could almost see the man's lips pulling ever so slightly into a barely concealed smirk.

"He asked to use my floo."

"He didn't say anything about-"

"Mr Weasley as much as I'd love to involve myself in this train wreck you're currently on. No, I haven't spoken to him about any of this."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"As the Slytherin head of house each and every single one of the students in my house knows that they can speak with me about anything they feel the need to talk about, whenever they feel its necessary. If Mr Zabini wants to talk to me then he will."

Ron paused as he stared back at the man, unsure of what to make of him. Professor Severus Snape was notoriously difficult to deal with so Ron didn't think he was really supposed to know what to make of him. All the same, the redhead bit his bottom lip before turning back and stopping in front of the professor's desk.

"Professor can I ask you something?"

Snape raised an eyebrow at him, "I'm not sure if you can, but if you have a question to ask then you may."

And now his grammar is being corrected.

Ron resisted the urge to glare. He took a deep breath.

"If you were me, what would you do… about the baby?"

Snape blinked before he leaned back in his seat, "I don't think I'd ever allow myself to end up in a predicament like yours Mr Weasley, but if by some miracle I had somehow found myself pregnant at the age of sixteen I think I'd give the child up for adoption."

Ron almost took a step back, the man continued, "Like I told you before, a child isn't a toy and my… living conditions weren't conducive to having a child and keeping it."

"Oh, I see." The redhead said softly, Snape seemed to let out a soft breath as he leaned forward on the desk and braced his elbows on the surface. "However, I did not have the same support that you may potentially have. Tell me: do you believe that your family loves you?"

Ron blinked before nodding, "Yes."

"Do you believe that your friends will support you?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to be a father?"

The redhead paused, "Yes."

Snape took in a deep breath, "If I were you, then I would probably want to keep the child. Regardless of whatever the other father in the equation felt. However, this isn't a decision that I or anyone else should be able to make for you Mr Weasley. It's a question you need to answer yourself. Do you want to keep the child or are you willing to let it go?"

Ron took in a deep shuddering breath as he leaned back against one of the desks behind him, "I'm afraid."

"You're human. Fear is like anger, two very misunderstood emotions. People like to think that fear is bad, but it's a very natural reaction to a new experience or an unknown threat. One never really stops being afraid you simply push through it and learn to adapt around it. Anger is seen as a bad emotion as well, but anger and rage its an emotion of passion. It only really becomes a problem if you let rage overrule you." Snape seemed to shake his head eve so slightly, "There's nothing wrong with being afraid. Fear is like pain, it lets you know you're still alive and sane. What you need to ask yourself is why you're afraid."

"My mother for one thing."

Snape scoffed at the redhead's words, "I'm sure."

"Going through all of this alone is another." Ron admitted quietly and Snape paused. "Do you think you're going to go through this alone?"

"Maybe."

"And what if you did go through it alone? Would you want to give the child away?"

"I don't think I could afford to keep her."

"But would you want to keep it?"

Ron nodded his head. Snape took in a silent breath.

"There's a lot to consider and like I said before, there's still time to decide. But I'd like to offer you a bit of advice; encourage a bit of, Slytherin ambition, if I may," The professor leaned back and Ron could almost see the slightest hint of a smile playing on his lips. "If you want something, if you truly desire it, do whatever it takes to keep it and never let it go."

The redhead looked away hands clenching and unclenching at his sides for a brief moment when the professor spoke again.

"Now, unless you have anything else to ask."

"Oh right." Ron flushed and gave a wry smile before he turned to leave the room.

"Thank you, professor."

"Out." Was all that Snape said as he immediately brought his attention to a set of books near the edge of the table. Ron couldn't help but scoff as he walked out of the room. He was almost surprised to find Harry standing outside the room and for a moment he almost panicked at the thought that the raven may have heard the conversation.

"Wh-Where's Neville?"

"He headed up to the tower." Harry said stepping forward, "What did Snape want?"

"He just, wanted to talk about some of my essays that's all. Schedule extra tutoring."

Harry frowned, "Since when does Snape tutor private lessons?"

Ron gave a shrug, "Since I failed my last essay. C'mon, its almost dinner time and I'm starving. And I have to eat if I'm going to take my potions."

The raven nodded though he couldn't keep the frown off his face, "Right."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You didn't come yesterday."

He didn't.

Lee needed some time to compose himself, go over his notes and try to get a handle on the information he was being given, remind himself on what he was supposed to be doing. He was learning more than he thought he would. His mind was filling with so many questions that he could barely think of anything else it didn't help that Rabastan Lestrange was so… striking.

He's dangerous, Lee didn't doubt that for a second. On one level he's scared of the wizard and understandably so. He'd have to be an idiot not to be at least the slightest bit weary of the man, but at the same time something about him was oddly-

Lee needed some time away, so he went into the office. Went over his notes and did a bit of research on Rabastan Lestrange to prepare for the next interview instead. He didn't want to be caught off guard again.

Lee looked up at the man, he was free of his restraints. The warden hadn't been happy when he was told that the young wizard had asked for the prisoner to be allowed to move freely in the room. Lee explained that he needed Lestrange comfortable if he was going to get the answers he needed and assured him that everything was fine.

" _The security measures you have here in Azkaban are really quite impressive, I didn't feel unsafe not even for a second."_

So, the warden gave in and agreed to have the restraints off when Lee went inside but made sure to remind Lee to speak up if he needed anything.

"Did you miss me?" Lee asked and Rabastan's head gave a tilt.

"I thought I finally managed to scare you away."

"I don't see what I'd have to be scared of."

The older man gave a soft scoff, "Still so much spirit, little mudblood."

"I thought that's your favourite kind. I'd hate to disappoint you." Lee said raising a brow at the other and Rabastan chuckled as he got up from his seat and started walking around again. Lee took in a deep breath, reminded himself to stay calm.

"Shall we get started?" the older man didn't respond Lee took that as his cue.

"Tell me about your childhood."

Rabastan paused, "You don't want to ask me about the Dark Lord or the Longbottoms?"

"There'll be more time for that some other time." Lee said simply briefly glancing up from his notebook, "Right now I want to know about your childhood."

"I don't see how that's relevant."

"I thought it pertinent to get some background information."

"You thought it pertinent." Rabastan repeated, "My childhood was fine. My brother and I were raised in the same way as every other heir to a pureblood household."

"And your brother, what was your relationship like with him?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Do you have siblings?"

"No."

"An only child," Rabastan paused, "How simple it would be to make you disappear."

Lee paused at that, glanced up at the man before looking away, "Not as simple as you think."

Rabastan looked away as he started moving again, "Our relationship was fine."

"How did your parents feel about you taking the mark at fourteen? Did they know?"

"They knew. They were proud."

"And your brother?"

The older man paused, "Rodolphus didn't have much of an opinion on that."

"He didn't?"

"Not that I know of. You'd have to ask him if he felt differently. Though I wouldn't recommend it."

Lee paused, "Why not?"

Rabastan turned and walked back to the table, leaning against it as he spoke, "The fact that he's an _evil Death Eater_ isn't enough for you?"

"How is he any different from you?"

The older man's eyes narrowed down ever so slightly, "Rodolphus isn't half as kind as I am."

Lee couldn't help but let out a snort, "I can imagine."

Rabastan's head gave a tilt, "Are you going to talk to him?"

"Maybe."

The older man stared at him for a moment before abruptly turning around to start pacing again.

Lee looked down at his notes, "You said that your first mission for he-who-must-not-be-named you went with your brother. Did you always go with him on missions?"

"No. It depended on what the Dark Lord ordered."

"Were you ever ordered to act against other Death eaters?"

"Disobedience within the order was punished under the Dark Lord's supervision." Rabastan explained simply as he kept pacing and Lee's head gave a tilt, "Were you ever punished?"

The older man paused, "Yes."

"What for?"

Rabastan looked at the boy, "Why do you want to meet Rodolphus?"

Lee blinked at the sudden change in topic and let out a sigh, "You haven't given me a reason as for why I shouldn't."

He could see the older man's jaw clench.

"I was punished for disobedience."

And there we go again.

Honestly, you could get whiplash with all this topic changing, Lee almost felt used to it at that point so he simply made a note on his book, "Disobedience concerning what exactly?"

Rabastan let out a soft scoff as he turned back to the table, "Why does it matter? I thought you were asking me about my childhood because you thought it pertinent to do so."

"I have my reasons for asking."

"What reasons are those?"

Lee looked up at the man and forced himself to look right into those dark eyes, "How your relationship with your brother changed after you joined the Death Eaters."

Rabastan's head gave a tilt and his lips pulled down ever so slightly, as the boy continued. "Rumours say that punishments sometimes involve other Death Eaters."

"And?"

"Was Rodolphus there when you were punished for your disobedience? Did he take part or did he just watch?" Lee asked still not looking away for a moment and Rabastan started to smile.

"Would you like to know what was done to me?" the convict walked closer and stopped right next to him at the table, "Want me to show you?" And then he reached out to touch the boy's cheek, Lee fought back hard against the urge to flinch away as Rabastan spoke softly, "Bring me a wand, and I'll show you."

Lee swallowed hard, "Yes, because I'm stupid enough to bring a dangerous Death Eater a wand in Azkaban."

"I suppose there'll be time for that later." Rabastan let out an almost wistful sigh, "No siblings, muggles for parents and no one in your family knows about magic. How long do you think it would take before someone noticed you were missing?"

Lee's eyes narrowed down ever so slightly, "Not long."

Rabastan smirked but didn't pull his hand away, only let it drift up the side of the boy's face. Lee could barely feel it, the whispers of air moving across his skin. But the phantom touches made what was already a tense situation feel distinctly more intense. He almost missed it when Rabastan started talking again.

"I was being punished because I failed to complete an order."

"And what were you ordered to do?"

"Punish another Death Eater."

Lee looked up and right into the older man's eyes, "Your brother?"

Rabastan gave a soft snort but didn't look away from where he was touching Lee. "I owed him. I did something I shouldn't have and Rodolphus found out but he didn't tell anyone. So, when he disobeyed and was discovered I couldn't… execute punishment over him."

"And you were punished instead?" Lee said swallowing hard as he spoke still not looking away.

"Something like that."

Lee finally looked down to his note pad, ignoring the faint touches against his cheek. He really shouldn't be allowing this kind of contact, but he was afraid of the older man suddenly closing off to him. So he allowed it, "You said you did something you shouldn't have, what was it?"

"There was this… boy, in Chelsea." Lee tensed when the phantom touch moved from his cheek and slowly down to his neck, "So much spirit. I wasn't even sure what I wanted to do with him at first, I just wanted to watch him." Rabastan got up from his seat on the table, but didn't pull his hand away as he walked around to stand behind him. "But I stayed too long and I ended up going too far."

"What did you do?"

Lee's eyes widened and he couldn't help but let out a startled gasp when Rabastan's face was right beside his own, he heard the deep intake of breath against his skin, the hand on his cheek moved down to his neck.

"You smell like apples."

Lee just blinked. Somehow that simple comment sounded odd coming from the convict. It was said so softly, Lee wasn't sure how to react.

"What?"

Rabastan chuckled, pulled away and walked around to start pacing in front of him again. "I was supposed to kill him."

"Kill who?"

Rabastan looked at Lee with his head cocked a little to the side. Lee wanted to facepalm when it hit him.

"Right." The boy said softly and Rabastan let out a snort. Lee tried to pull himself together, "Why didn't you?"

"I don't throw away my toys unless I'm done playing with them."

Lee looked up at the older man, "What did you do with him?"

Rabastan smirked, leaned in towards the boy, "If you brought me a wand then I could show you."

Lee sighed, shaking his head, feeling exhausted with the games, when a thought suddenly came to mind, "Did he smell like apples too?"

Rabastan paused, "No. To answer your other question, Rodolphus was there during my punishment."

"And you weren't angry that your older brother just watched as you were tortured?"

"What's there to be angry about? I know my place and he knows his. We must all make sacrifices for the greater good."

Lee almost flinched at that, it sounded so similar to something that headmaster Dumbledore would say.

Just then the door opened.

"Times up." The guard said and Lee let out a soft sigh as he started to pick up his things. He got up from his seat, walked over to the door when-

"Give Rodolphus my regards."

Lee paused and looked back to the man who was back to sitting in his seat and frowned.

"I never said I was-"

"But you will." Rabastan interrupted and Lee could do nothing more than stare as he found himself in that dark intense stare, suddenly seeming to be devoid of all life.

He forced himself to look away and swallowed hard.

"Good bye Lord Lestrange."

"Mr Jordan."

Lee left the room the door was shut behind him with a loud clack and he was led away. And something heavy and foreboding settled into his stomach.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It took some doing to get away from his friends but he managed. Of course, he's happy that he managed to make up with his best friend, he's grateful that he and Harry could talk it out but he wasn't quite ready to tell Harry everything about his situation just yet. So when he got the note from Blaise, he waited till after dinner before he made up an excuse about seeing Pomfrey about the baby.

Harry was sweet. He volunteered to go with him, Ron felt terrible for lying but he really isn't ready to talk about Blaise yet. He insisted that it was something he'd rather do alone since it was a bit personal and left.

Blaise said to meet in Snape's class. How the Italian managed to get the potions master to let him use the room is beyond him. He walked into the class and found Blaise sitting at one of the desks at the front of the class, staring blankly in front of him with his hands wringing in front of him.

Ron took a deep breath and walked in to stand in front of the other.

Blaise jumped letting out a soft sigh, Ron's head gave a tilt.

"Surprised to see me?"

Blaise shook his head, "Not exactly."

It was quiet for a moment, the Slytherin dragged a hand over his head before looking up to give Ron a wry smile.

"So, is it a boy or a girl?"

Ron shrugged, "Too soon to tell."

"It's just so… " He took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for earlier. You just caught me by surprise."

"You don't say." Ron said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes and Blaise did the same. "Lay off alright, I've never gotten anyone pregnant before. This is all new for me."

"And it's not for me?"

"That's not what I'm saying." Blaise let out a heavy sigh, "I just, I don't think it's really all settled in yet." Blaise then looked up at the red head, "I asked professor Snape if I could use his floo to call my mother."

Ron's eyes went wide, "You told your mother?"

"You didn't tell yours?" Blaise asked with a frown and Ron looked away, the Slytherin shook his head, "She's livid by the way."

Ron let out a heavy sigh, "Of course she is."

He expected as much. Ron walked over to sit in the seat beside him, he could feel Blaise's eyes on him but he didn't care.

Merlin how is he supposed to tell Molly? Dumbledore said he'd be telling his parents later that day. Blaise already went and told his mother. It would be better if Ron told Molly and Arthur himself. But he couldn't face his parents, not yet.

"She keeps asking why I'd jump into bed with a carrier in the first place."

"I didn't know!"

Blaise looked at the redhead before letting out a sight, "I believe you. My mother not so much. She's convinced that you must be some gold-digging whore out to steal the family fortune."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Of course she does. And you don't?"

Blaise smirked, "There are too many variables for you to have considered to pull off a con like that. No offence, but I've seen you explode at Draco's taunts enough times that I don't think you're capable of that level of patience and detailed planning."

Ron glared, "You mean I'm not Slytherin enough to try to do something like that."

"Yes, actually." Blaise said and Ron couldn't help but scoff. The Italian looked up at the board at the front of the class, Ron took a deep breath.

"Madame Pomfrey said it's too risky for me to try and get rid of it." Ron felt the Slytherin tense tremendously beside him, but he pushed on, "The only other options I have are to either keep it or give it away for adoption."

Blaise's jaw clenched, Ron could see the way the muscles moved under his skin, "What do you want to do?"

The red head looked away, "I want to keep it." Ron paused to get his thoughts together, "You don't have to-"

Ron was cut off when the Slytherin suddenly grasped his chin to turn it towards him and gave him a deep kiss. Ron's eyes widened in surprise and before he could think to react Blaise broke it.

"Good, no child of mine is living without their parents."

Ron blinked for a moment stunned silent, he licked his lips swallowed hard, "So you want to be in her life?"

Blaise arched a brow at the red head, "I thought you said you didn't know the gender yet."

Ron flushed, "I don't I just… never mind… Wait, what would you have done if I said I wanted to give it up for adoption?"

Blaise took a deep breath as he sat back, "It's my child too, if you wanted nothing to do with it then you wouldn't have to. She'd be born a Zabini and she'd be raised a Zabini."

"She?"

Blaise gave him a soft smile, "I wouldn't mind having a daughter either."

Ron felt himself flush, he looked away for a brief moment he felt a spark of anger at the notion that he wouldn't want to be a part of the baby's life, "What does this mean for us?"

"What do you want it to mean? I meant what I said that night, you don't look too bad." Ron rolled his eyes as the Italian continued, "We've gotten this far, why not try going further."

"I'm pregnant, how much further could we go?" Ron asked and Blaise laughed, "I meant we could try dating, if you like. We're going to be parents soon, I don't really know that much about you. It might be good to have an actual relationship."

"What about Malfoy and the others?"

"What about Malfoy and the others?"

"Won't they be less than pleased to find out that you're dating a Weasel?"

Blaise looked at the red head looking right into his eyes as he spoke, "Draco doesn't control my life and he certainly doesn't control who I choose to associate with. None of them do. In this life there is just one thing you need to learn, I'm a Slytherin and Slytherin always get what they want."

Ron rolled his eyes again as the other continued, "I've always wanted children, no one's going to get in the way of me having a relationship with them."

The redhead paused and looked away, "So what now?"

Blaise paused before wrapping his arm around the redhead's shoulders, Ron tensed at the initial touch but didn't pull away, he only watched the teen beside him. "Now, we wait for mother to arrive."

Ron groaned and let himself slump into the Slytherin's shoulder, "Merlin."

Blaise nodded, "Yes, Merlin help us all."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rabastan was right.

It took some doing but he managed to get the warden to let him speak with Rodolphus.

" _There's some information his brother gave me that I need to confirm. I just need a few minutes I swear."_

Unlike Rabastan, Lee wouldn't be allowed to speak with him in a room. No no, the older Lestrange was much too dangerous for that. Lee would be taken to his cell and they could conduct his interview with a solid set of prison bars separating them, with the addition of Azkaban security magic just in case.

It was dark, Lee could barely see more than a few feet in front of him as the guards led him through the halls. They stopped in front of a cell stepped back away from the cell and one of the guards gestured towards the cell.

"Lestrange! You have a guest."

A figure stirred in the dark shadows of the confinement and slowly rose before moving closer to the bars. The dim lighting from the torches that lit up the hall just barely made the man's outline visible as he leaned against the barrier with his hands hanging through the bars. He didn't say a word. Lee cleared his throat and took a step forward.

"Rodolphus Lestrange? My name is Lee Jordan, I work for the Evening Howler-"

"Jordan, so you're the little muggle born that my brother's become so obsessed with." The dark figure said, piercing green eyes flashing in the light as the deep steady voice spoke catching Lee off guard for a brief moment.

"How do you-"

"Does it really matter how I know?"

Lee took a deep breath, "I was hoping to ask you a few questions, lord Lestrange."

A dark chuckle practically vibrated off the walls around him, and Lee swallowed hard as the man spoke, " _Lord Lestrange_. Is that what you call Rabastan?"

"Am I supposed to refer to him in some other way?"

"It certainly explains a lot." Rodolphus said, the boy could see him turn his head as if glancing off to the side and Lee frowned wondering exactly what that explained before glancing down to his notepad to pull his thoughts together.

"Lord Lestrange-"

"My name is Rodolphus, that's what you call me. _Lee_."

A shiver ran down his spine, Lee frowned. "I prefer Mr Jordan."

"I prefer master."

"And I'd prefer it if you kissed my arse but we can't all have what we want."

The guards stirred uneasily when Rodolphus let out a startled laugh at the young man's retort, Lee ignored it took a deep breath.

Calm down, get back on topic.

"I wanted to ask you a few questions about events that occurred during your time serving he-who-must-not-be-named."

"Do you now." The man said staring right at the younger man, "Come closer, boy."

Lee paused, "Why?"

"I can't see you when you're standing all the way over there. If I'm going to answer your questions, I think it's only fair that I at least get to see what you look like."

Lee frowned but stepped forward anyway. He could feel the guards tense behind him.

"It's fine." He said quietly stopping just a foot away from the cell, just far enough so he was out of Lestrange's reach.

"There. Happy?"

Rodolphus leaned forward and his face became more visible, his hair was long and shaggy, greasy and stringy as it fell around his face, his beard long and scraggly. Lee frowned briefly. Rabastan didn't look like this.

"Interesting." The man's head gave a tilt, "What do you want to know?"

Lee arched a brow, "You seem slightly more cooperative than your brother."

"Rabastan likes to pay games."

"You don't?"

"These aren't the kinds of games I like to play."

Something in Rodolphus' tone made Lee pause and he was caught off guard at the intensity of the look, he felt his face flush ever so slightly.

"Uhm," Lee cleared his throat as he looked down at his notes, "How old were you when you took the dark mark?"

"Sixteen."

"Two years older than your brother?"

"Rabastan's always been precocious."

"So you weren't competing?"

Rodolphus' head gave a tilt, "For what?"

"To find favour with he-who-should-not-be-named? Approval from your parents?"

The inmate chuckled, "Neither of those are things either of us felt the need to compete over." Rodolphus took in a deep breath, "Our parents were fair and the Dark Lord wasn't so easily impressed."

"I see," Lee paused, "What was your relationship like with your parents?"

"Fine."

"Really?"

"Did you expect a different answer? Did you expect me to say that we were being abused or neglected and that's why we chose to join the Dark Lord? That either Rabastan or I suffered some sort of childhood trauma that led us to the conclusion that becoming Death Eaters would allow us to save ourselves from some wretched existence?" Rodolphus scoffed, "Our parents made sure we had all that we needed and wanted. Joining the Dark Lord had very little to do with any trauma that was inflicted on us."

"But your parents were an influence in that decision, weren't they? The Lestranges always been loyal to he-who-must-not-be-named." Lee asked with a tilt of his head, "Your wife said as much during your sentencing at the Longbottom trial."

"Lestranges have always been loyal to the Dark Lord." Rodolphus seemed to smirk, "The right question to ask now is why."

"Fine, why were you loyal to he who must not be named?"

"The Dark Lord wishes to bring order to the wizarding world. He wants to bring peace and structure to the society."

"By exterminating all of those he deems unworthy?" Lee said with a little more bite in his voice than he'd intended the other man's head gave a tilt.

"Yes."

"How noble." The teen mumbled under his breath as he made a few notes on his notepad and Rodolphus chuckled.

"The intention was only to remove muggles from the wizarding society, prevent them from becoming a threat to our way of life. If a war could have been avoided, then he would have avoided it."

"And this is what you believe?"

"Yes."

Lee didn't say anything to that. he was trying to avoid making the same mistakes that he made with Rabastan, he isn't supposed to give his opinions on anything, just ask questions. He made a mistake with Rabastan, he let the older man in, let the Death Eater question him. Rabastan was starting to crawl under his skin, Lee could feel it happening though he refused to acknowledge it. He just needs to get more control over himself, stay on track and stop letting Rabastan get to him.

He's already given Rodolphus one outburst too many, he needs to stay focused.

"Suffice it to say that your parents approved of you becoming Death Eaters?"

"Yes."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"How did you feel about your brother taking the dark mark?"

Rodolphus seemed to give a slight shrug, "Like you said, the Lestranges have always been faithful to the Dark Lord. I expected him to get the mark sooner or later. He simply chose to get it sooner."

"You had no opinion on it? You didn't care that he would be entering into the service of he-who-must-not-be-named so young?"

"Whether I approved or not he would have joined regardless."

"Rumours have it that Death Eaters are punished within the order. Rabastan made mention of one incident in which he was punished. What did you think of him joining he-who-must-not-be-named then?"

"When you become a Death Eater, you're made aware of the risks and punishments that you may be subjected to. Rabastan knew what he was signing up for." And then the older man let his head rest against the bars tilting his head to the side, "Do you know the Dark Lord's name?"

Lee blinked, "What?"

"The Dark Lord, do you know his name?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you use it? You keep saying he-who-must-not-be-named, why? Are you afraid?"

The teen took in a deep breath, "Why do you only refer to him as the Dark Lord?"

"It's a sign of respect. But you, you're a muggle born child, a Gryffindor I assume. No doubt a supporter of the light. Why not just say his name? Are you afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"You tell me."

Lee's eyes narrowed down ever so slightly, "I-"

"Is it the same reason why you won't say my name? It's the familiarity, isn't it?" Rodolphus said simply, not blinking once, "To name a thing is to acknowledge its existence, almost like giving life to your deepest darkest fears or desires. Without a name it loses significance, it becomes forgettable."

"Is it wrong for me to want to avoid too much familiarity with a Death Eater?" Lee asked and Rodolphus paused, "It begs the question as to why you would want to avoid familiarity. Afraid you'll find something you might like, Lee?"

Lee tensed at the sound of his name but still managed to scoff, "I don't see how that would be possible."

Rodolphus smirked, "Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"

Lee looked down at his notes, brushed back a dread lock that fell over his face, "Just one; concerning the reason for your incarceration."

"The Longbottoms." Rodolphus said letting his head tilt the other way. "The details of what happened to them are public record."

"In his testimony, Bartimaeus Crouch Jnr claimed innocence concerning the events of that night."

"And you want to know if he was telling the truth? Barty was there, he did what he was order to do."

"Are you saying that Crouch Junior was lying?" Rodolphus kept his eyes on the teen.

"If I remember correctly Barty was sentenced due to his participation in the Longbottoms torture."

"Is that a yes?"

"Words can be such delicate little things, they can mean so much and at the same time mean so little."

Lee let out a frustrated sigh, "I thought you said you didn't like games."

"I also said I wanted you to call me by my name, but of course we can't all have what we want."

Lee glared at the older man when-

"Times up." One of the guards suddenly said and Lee looked back at the man that spoke, mouth opening and closing. He hardly got any of the answers he was looking for.

"What a pity, I suppose you'll have to come back, won't you Lee." Rodolphus suddenly said with a smirk and Lee glared hard.

"I wouldn't count on it, Lord Lestrange."

Rodolphus chuckled but didn't look away as the teen turned and followed the guards as he was led away. Not that Lee had much of a choice as he was dragged along and that's when he noticed how much colder it had suddenly gotten, the halls looked darker. The boy frowned as he was taken away.

 **A/N: So up until this point I haven't really gone into the dementors or what they're doing during Lee's visits. I wanted to make it clear that the dementors aren't absent in this story, I just wanted to write Azkaban in a way that made more sense. I mean, the books and movies make no mention of any human personal on Azkaban. When they talk about guards it's always in reference to the dementors but I'm sorry that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I mean, who's bringing the prisoners food? Who's taking the bodies out and burying them in the cemetery once they die. Sirius and the Lestranges were in Azkaban for years so they must've been eating something. Were there elves in Azkaban, because I honestly can't see dementors bringing their captives food or even bothering with taking the bodies out and burying them once they'd been sucked dry. Plus, there's mention of that one minister who visited Azkaban and wanted to change the harsh conditions in the prison. How did he get in and out without being harmed by the dementors, or prisoners if there really were no other people there? And if the dementors really were the only guards on the prison then I feel like a lot more people should've managed to escape. I mean, who was even blowing the whistle whenever there was a prison break anyway. There had to have been some kind of human presence somewhere around the prison so I just kind of made up a few rules for Azkaban so it would seem more plausible and my brain would stop getting stuck.**

 **Please review**


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